


The Siren and the Soldier

by Disaster_Space_Mom



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Did i really make Tyreen hella tol? Yup don't judge me, Eventual Fluff, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Borderlands 3 (Video Game), Redemption, SO MUCH FLUFF, Size Difference, Slow Burn, Stockholm Syndrome, but kinda really yeah, but not really, no smut because I don't know how
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:14:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 71,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22024645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Disaster_Space_Mom/pseuds/Disaster_Space_Mom
Summary: Tyreen the destroyer has fallen. The time has come to slay the star-consuming beast, but what happens when Moze can't bring herself to take the final shot? Moze's irrational crush on one of the galaxy's most nefarious villains has the potential to destroy everything she loves, but it also has the possibility of growing into something more than just a one-sided crush. Either way, the galaxy is in for a hell of a ride.
Relationships: Tyreen Calypso/Moze
Comments: 62
Kudos: 106





	1. An Irrational Crush

**Author's Note:**

> *Disclaimer*  
> This has not been Beta read. 
> 
> Behold! A fic nobody asked for! A ship so unknown it doesn't even have a name! I call it (Eridium Bear!) *Thanks goes to AnAvFe for the name* I hope you enjoy!

BANG! With one final missile blast from Iron Bear, Tyreen the Destroyer was destroyed. The enormous star-eating beast had been slain, and Pandora would finally be free, or so Moze thought. The enormous shelled carapace of the destroyer had collapsed with a ground-shaking thud, but something was amiss. Tyreen’s form, now much larger after her partial absorption into the destroyer, was writhing in agonizing pain. The siren’s ear-piercing screams of agony and sorrow echoed though the Great Vault. As the gunner ejected from her mech she decided it was time to end this self-proclaimed goddess’s reign of terror. Moze raised her rifle to the enormous siren’s head and prepared to take the shot, but she stopped upon noticing that Tyreen had begun to slowly detach herself from the Destroyer entirely. Using the hand that had not been completely absorbed the siren began to claw into the dirt desperately trying to pull herself from the umbilical that now connected her to the ancient monster. A mixture of blood, eridium, and tendrils slowly began to peel from Tyreen’s lower half as her legs began to emerge from the purple cord. 

“Oh, that is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen in my life!” Ava exclaimed, quickly covering her mouth in attempt to repress her sudden urge to vomit. 

“Vault hunter! Quick! Kill her!” Tannis interjected. “Before she can- “But before the scientist could finish her sentence it was too late. Tyreen’s enormous mutilated form had completely separated itself from the destroyer’s shell. The once diminutive siren was now almost three times her original height, but her body had become weak and feeble following her defeat by the ex-Vladof soldier.

“These fights just never fucking end!” Moze roared, watching the siren stand up to her full height. “This is for Maya!” she yelled, aiming her rifle at the colossal woman standing before her, but before she could take a single shot, Tyreen collapsed to the ground. Her entire torso was mutilated, tendrils from the destroyer still latched onto the siren’s chest, her right arm was completely gone, presumably absorbed by some unknown process in her fusion with the beast, and her face had been horribly scarred. 

“Kill me then!” Tyreen screamed. “Just fucking end it already!” She sobbed, banging an enormous fist onto the ground. “Do it!” 

Moze watched as the siren glared into her eyes. The once ice-blue colored eyes of the siren now radiated a bright purple, shining with an unsettling eridium glow. She was clearly in pain, and not just physical pain, but mental anguish as well, for she had truly lost everything: her father, her brother, any hope of becoming a goddess was crushed, and it was with this realization that the soldier made a decision that no one would anticipate. Moze lowered her rifle and began to speak.

“You’ve made the galaxy’s life a living hell since you came into power, and it only makes sense that you feel the same pain you’ve made everyone else feel. Dying is way too easy a way out for someone like you.” She remarked, glaring back at the siren. She had wanted to say more, she wanted to drive the verbal dagger home, but words never came easily to the vault hunter and her thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of a hand being placed atop her shoulder.

“That’s a nice speech, killer.” Lilith, replied. “But we’ve still got one problem. Elpis is gonna tear Pandora apart.”

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It had been two days since Lilith had made her sacrifice to save Pandora and its moon, and Moze had been given the “privilege” of taking care of the Crimson Raider’s prisoner, she was the one to make the call to spare her life, after all. Unfortunately, hindsight can only occur AFTER a decision is made, and the soldier’s recent decision not to execute the maniacal siren had led to a few problems that would make her life much more complicated. Sanctuary III did not have a prison, meaning that Moze would be forced to give up her own room to use as a makeshift cell. At least until the prisoner could be transported to an actual prison, specifically, the Anvil on Eden-6. 

Housing Tyreen aboard Sanctuary III would eventually lead to a few more problems that completely caught the soldier off guard. First of all, while she firmly wanted Tyreen to suffer for all she had done, much of the crew had ostracized her for not just killing the siren in the first place. Secondly, Eden-6 was still partially overrun by COV forces, meaning that she had to be the one to convince Tina, Brick, and Mordecai to risk their lives securing a prison for a criminal they all wanted dead. And lastly, Moze had to be the one to deliver the prisoner her food every night and ensure that she hadn’t found some method of escape.

Feeding a woman who literally survives by draining the lifeforce of other living beings is extremely difficult. Fortunately enough for her, however, she had friends who did still support her in this crisis. Her primary companion in this venture was Fl4k, for the robot enjoyed the challenge of helping Moze catch all types of creatures to be used as sustenance for the massive siren. Although even with help, hunting almost every single day was exhausting, and it often meant that the prisoner’s dinnertime would often occur late into a Sanctuary “evening.” 

There was no day or night on Sanctuary III. Between the constant hustle and bustle of engineers working on the ship and the lack of a day or night cycle the only way to tell time was to use either a watch or one of the ship’s onboard clocks. Right now, however, Moze could tell that it had to be late. The weary soldier took a long-exasperated sigh before proceeding to enter the prisoner’s cell. Today’s “dinner?” A tray holding a small tranquilized varkid.

Moze opened the cell door only to watch as the prisoner quickly snatched the creature from the tray, instantly draining the creature’s lifeforce. The varkid’s body slowly turned an ashy gray as it solidified into a husk.

“I’ve got my own maid and everything.” Tyreen remarked dryly. Much of the energy she once had prior to her defeat was gone, and her body still retained all of the mutilations it had suffered from her fusion with the destroyer, an incessant reminder of her mistakes and wrongdoings, her monstrous actions manifesting on her physical appearance.

Moze glared at the siren and proceeded to exit the room. The soldier immediately burst into tears, desperately trying to discover what had led her to saving an intergalactic criminal’s life. She had said it was for justice, she said it was because she wanted the siren to pay for what she had done, but the reality of the matter was that she had ultimately saved her for her own selfish purposes. 

The vault hunter dug her nails into her side, muttering to herself. “Tyreen Calypso is alive, because you had a stupid fucking crush! Because you actually believe you can get her to change! Stupid! This woman is beyond redemption!” Moze closed her eyes, realizing that she needed to look calm in case anyone saw her. She would get through this; she knew she could. How long could it possibly take for Tina and the gang to clear out one enemy base anyways?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

One month later

One month had officially passed since the vault hunter had decided to save the siren’s life. Every day had meshed into a monotonous slog. Wake up, find food for the criminal, get back to the ship, feed Tyreen, sleep. This was no way for a vault hunter to live, vault hunters were supposed to travel the stars searching for treasure and fame, not be stuck on guard duty. It was ironic actually, she had wanted exactly the same thing as Tyreen did: Freedom. 

Moze braced herself as she entered the makeshift prison, it was dinner time. The cell that had once been Moze’s personal bedroom was now dark and cold, a thin layer of dust blanketed a majority of the room. Tyreen was huddled in the corner of the makeshift cell, her remaining arm wrapped around her legs. Solitary confinement had not been kind to her. 

“You think you can keep me here forever?” She chuckled half-heartedly. “C’mon superfan, it’s only a matter of time before- “

“Oh, shut up.” Moze snapped, causing the siren to actually freeze in disbelief. “You have no idea what I’ve gone through just to keep you alive this long! You’ve lost everything, just give it up!” The anger that the soldier felt practically radiated throughout the room. “Who are you doing this for?! Troy? Typhon? They’re dead, and it’s because of you! So how about you stop trying to fight the only person in the universe trying to keep you alive! It’s over! Even you’re getting sick of it!” And before Tyreen could utter a single word Moze dropped the tray of “food” to the ground and left the room. 

The siren watched the door and waited. Once she was absolutely sure that the furious soldier had walked away did she begin to weep. 

Over the course of the past month Moze had learned that strolls through the ship were one of the most efficient methods of calming herself down, and that is exactly what she decided to do. Upon her return back to the cell, however, she had heard what sounded like sobbing. This past month Moze had heard many things emanating from Tyreen’s cell: incoherent mumbling, laughter, and groans as the siren had forcibly ripped fleshy tendrils off her body, but tonight was the first night that she had actually heard the woman cry. 

Moze gently opened the cell door and proceeded to apologize. “Look, uh, it was pretty fucked up of me to bring up your family, especially your dad. I won’t apologize for you being in here since you made your choice, but I’m not gonna lower myself to your level with verbal abuse. I’m sorry.” 

“You think I care?” Tyreen replied, desperately trying to repress a sob. “They were weak! Weak like you, and all your loser friends! They deserved it, and wait… Where are you going?” 

“I’m done, dude.” Moze replied, opening the door to leave. “You really aren’t worth the trouble anymore.” But before she could exit the room she was stopped by the pleading of the prisoner.

“Please! Wait! Don’t leave, I’m sorry!” Tyreen sobbed. “I’m sorry, please just don’t leave!” Moze, reluctantly proceeded to close the door and reclined against it. 

“What exactly do you want from me?” The soldier sighed. 

“H-How do I make it stop?” The siren burst, as she desperately clawed into the remaining purple tendrils still grafted onto her torso. 

“I uh, I’m not a doctor sooo… I don’t know how I- “

“No, not this.” Tyreen replied. “I mean the… the uh.”

“The guilt?”

The siren nodded, wiping away her tears. “I miss Troy, I miss dad, I miss the sun.” Moze listened as the siren’s venting proceeded to turn into incomprehensible mumbling before she decided it was time to respond.

“I was part of a squad y’know.” The soldier said, crossing her arms. “We were basically a big family, some of em got on my nerves so bad, but I loved em. We were a team and we’d die for each other. Then… well, things happened, and I was the last one left. I came to Pandora to escape, try to make some money finding vaults, but I found some friends instead.” Moze let out a soft chuckle, as she continued her story. “That’s super cheesy, I know, but if it wasn’t for Fl4k I’m pretty sure I would’ve fucking lost it already.” She looked straight into Tyreen’s eyes, now returned back to their original shade of blue. “You never truly get over a loss, but love and time can work miracles.”

Tyreen stared back into the eyes of the woman who she had tormented for so long and let out a sad smile. “Pretty deep, soldier girl. Pretty deep.” 

Moze smiled back in return. “I have my moments.” It was only then that she had remembered exactly who it was that she was talking too, and decided it was time to go. “You should, um, get some rest. It’s pretty late. Bye.” She burst, immediately exiting the room as quickly as possible. She shut the door and let out a deep sigh. Everything that had taken place in the past month, and everything that would happen from this day onward would be a result of her decision not to execute the wannabe god-queen, and there was nothing she could do to change that. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The next “morning” arrived like all the prior days had, like a sack full of bricks to the face. This one was especially painful, however, for one main reason, and that reason’s name was Claptrap.

“Good morning!” Burst the small orange robot, waking up the sleep-deprived soldier.

“Oh, god fucking dammit!” Moze, snapped. “What do you want, Claptrap?”

“Hey! No need to be rude! I’m just here to tell you that you’ve got a call down on the bridge! Y’know, I could walk with you if you- “

“No! No thank you.” Moze quickly interrupted, knowing full well that if you allowed Claptrap to start talking it would take divine intervention to make him stop. “Any idea what it’s about though before I head out?”

“Nope, no clue! I just know that it’s urgent. Why wouldn’t they tell me?! The commander of the crimson raiders, slayer of the destroyer, hero of Pan- “

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bye, Claptrap.” The soldier burst and proceeded to head down to the bridge. 

Down on the bridge things were constantly in motion yet still somehow orderly, even on this crumbling ship, it was a fervent reminder of her past as a soldier. It was almost like home, and today it even had the yelling. Specifically, from the Eden-6 team sent to retake the Anvil.

“Are you sure you can’t just… Kill her?” Asked Mordecai wearily.

“No, Mordecai.” Moze replied, rubbing her temples. “We’re the good guys, right? We can’t do that.”

“Actually, we can.” Interrupted the voice of Brick.” Lilith killed Handsome Jack. Why can’t you just kill her? If she got out, I’m sure she’d try killin’ everyone on that ship. Still don’t know why you thought it was a good idea to bring her into our HQ anyways.”

“Because she gave up, Brick.” Moze replied. God, she needed coffee. “I’ve done some seriously bad things before, but I’m not shooting an unarmed- “

“War criminal?” Mordecai cut in. “She may not have Lil’s powers anymore… But she can still leech ya. And y’know, she’s big now. Brick is right, Moze. She’s too dangerous, and she’s done too much to deserve a punishment as light as a prison sentence, even in solitary.” 

Moze watched the holographic projections of the sniper and the brawler stare at her intensely. “You’re… You’re right.” 

“Wait, what?” Brick replied in disbelief. 

“You guys are right. I shouldn’t be asking you guys to risk your lives to save some maniac’s.”

“Don’t be sorry.” Brick chuckled. “Tina and I have actually been kinda enjoying the action. You’re more than welcome to come join us! We could definitely use a badass like you down here!”

“Thanks for the offer, big guy, but I kind of want to clear my head for a while.” Moze responded. “Hey, where is Tina anyways? “

“Oh, she’s here, but apparently she wants to talk to you alone!” Brick yelled, presumably meaning that the young demolition expert was somewhere nearby.

“Is that my Mozie?!” Yelled a distant voice in the chat. “Gimmie! Gimmie gimmie gimmie gimmie! 

“Alright, Tina, alright. Geesh.” Mordecai sighed, passing the communication device to Tina. 

“I’ll take that!” The blonde yelled. “Alright, now get out.” She said, ushering Mordecai and Brick out of the room. “Get out, get out, get out!” 

“Uh, hey, Tina.” Moze replied quizzically. “You wanted to talk?” 

“Don’t do it, girl!” Tina shouted. 

“Do what, exactly? Are you talking about executing Tyreen? I still don’t know if- “

“You like her!” The blonde shouted accusingly, placing her hands on her hips. 

“Like her?” Moze scoffed, not noticing the bead of sweat slowly proceeding to drip down her forehead. “She is evil! She was literally the head of a bandit church! She- “

“Hey, watch it!” Tina snapped. “Krieg is a bandit.” She replied with a posh voice. 

“Ok, sorry. Alright, but anyways she literally tried to eat an alien god! That’s like, the definition of crazy! Why would I like her?”

“Cuz you’re the only person in the whole universe who is actually trying to protect her! C’mon, dummo! Love makes people do crazy things! Besides, I’ve seen her post-destroyerfication. Girl’s got some gams now. We’re not talkin’ legs for days I’m talkin’ legs for weeks! No! Months! You can’t lie to me, girlie! You wanna hit that!” 

Moze could feel her entire face burning. It had to have been the fact that she was being lectured by a teenager, there’s no way she could be embarrassed because what the blonde said was true. There was no way she could possibly like someone like Tyreen, and there was definitely no way the mad siren could like her back. “No, Tina, I don’t like her, and she has to be punished. It’s justice. I have to execute her. I made a mistake keeping her alive.”

Tina’s holo-projection stared at the flustered soldier. “Mhm, alright, ok. You do that. I’ll tell Mordy we still gotta clear out the prison. Gotta deliver some pizzas if you know what I’m saying.” She said, waggling her eyebrows.

“Yeah, Tina. I rememb- “

“Bombs! I’m talking about bombs!” Tina interjected again, laughing hysterically. “Anywho, it’s gonna take us like, one more week to get this place completely up and running again. We’re almost done, here! Gimme a call if you need any advice! K, Love you. Bye!” And with that Tina shut off the communication device. 

“Unbelievable.” Moze thought to herself. “Me liking someone as evil as Tyreen. There’s nothing likeable about her.” The soldier frowned. “Well Except her sense of humor, as twisted as it could occasionally be, or how cool and unaffected she was even in the face of danger, or how beautiful she was. The siren definitely had the looks of a goddess, and oh my god.” She tried to stop her thoughts before they could carry on into dangerous territory, but it already too late. The rest of the day left her with one horrifying realization: She really did have a crush on Tyreen Calypso.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

It was a warm Pandoran morning, the sky a canvas of azure, and it was time to hunt. Following her previous conversation with a very pushy blonde, Moze continued her daily routine of heading planet-side. Tyreen wasn’t going to feed herself after all. 

“Thanks for helping me out this past month, Fl4k.” Moze said, looking through the sights of her rifle. “You’re a really good listener, and an even better friend.” 

“The feeling is mutual, Moserah.” The beastmaster replied, gently placing their hand on the soldier’s shoulder. “Now tell me again about this moral predicament you’ve been having. It will take longer for the local fauna to wake from its slumber now that winter has arrived.”

Moze sighed, looking somberly into her friend’s optical sensor. “It’s just… Tyreen.”

“Ah, yes. You recently mentioned that you thought she had excellent ‘gams’” Fl4k replied.

“Hey! No! No, I didn’t say that! Tina did!” Moze interrupted trying to suppress her blush. “Anyways - I just. I don’t know what to do, Fl4k.” She said, gazing towards the morning sky. “I mean. How could I have feelings for someone who has literally tried to kill me before? Actually, I bet she’d kill me now if she had the chance.” Moze scoffed. 

“Your fascination with the siren is.” Fl4k gently tilted their head. “Unorthodox. Perhaps following her fusion with the destroyer she has gained the ability to emit some sort of pheromone as a defense mechanism? Many species tend to use – “

“Ok, ew no. Gross” Moze, burst. “It’s not pheromones, Fl4k. I’ve always had this feeling, dude. I’ve always found her to be- “

“Worthy of being a potential mate?”

“Fl4k, stop interrupting me!” Moze interjected, giving up hope on trying to hide what seemed to be a permanent blush. “Not a mate, no. She’s evil, I just wish she wasn’t so we could -” Moze looked at the face of her friend. The robot had no facial expression, but she could practically feel a grin emanating from their face. “If you say ‘mate’, I’m going to lose it, dude.” 

The robot stared intensely into Moze’s eyes. “Continue, friend Moserah.” 

“I want to know her, Fl4k, but before I can do that I literally have to decide if she’s even worth keeping alive. How fucked up is that?!” Moze angrily kicked a small pile of dirt, letting out a loud groan. 

“Change.” Replied the robot gently.

“Change?” Moze questioned.

“Yes, Moserah. You say you have had problems with the actions of the siren’s past, but you cannot say what she will do in the future.” They answered gently. “Make no mistake. This woman is a criminal, and she must suffer a punishment for her actions. But punishment is often a precursor to rehabilitation. You say you wish she wasn’t evil, then make her change. Make her better, or better yet, make her want to be better.” 

Moze frowned. “That’s the thing, dude. I’ve thought about it, but people don’t ever really change. It’d just be a big waste of time. Not to mention the fact that I’m talking about a freaking intergalactic criminal and not just some thief or something.” 

Fl4k proceeded to sit down on the warm desert sand and pulled a small whistle out of their pocket. The robot gently blew the whistle, presumably producing a sound beyond the range of human hearing, and then put it away. “Have I ever told you how I tamed Broodless, my spiderant?” 

Moze gently shook her head. “No, never.”

“Many people said it couldn’t be done. Spiderants are insects, and therefore it was assumed they were not capable of bonding with one outside their own species. But when I found Broodless, he was a sole survivor on an attack on his hive. Everyone told me I was mad to tame him, but nevertheless I tried. I showed up to his nest every single day for a year. I fed him, fought against attackers with him, nursed his wounds even as he tried to kill me, but after an entire year my efforts had proven fruitful. I had gained a companion for life.” 

The soldier smiled sadly, watching as the very creature her companion had been discussing raced towards them from around a nearby rockface, evidently having heard the call of her companion’s whistle. “That’s really sweet, Fl4k. But Tyreen isn’t an animal, she’s a person. I can’t just tame her the way you do your pets.”

“That is true.” The robot responded. “But Broodless and Tyreen have one thing in common. They are both creatures who were placed into dire situations, and there is no greater driving force of change than the fear of death. Broodless had lost his hive and surely would have perished alone, but he had found me. Tyreen has nothing left. No family, no friends, just one stubborn woman fighting for her life. Your dedication towards her survival will build loyalty, and once she realizes that she needs you then you can make her realize that she needs to change if she wants to keep you in her life. Symbiosis. She grows as a person and you make a friend, and who’s to say that you won’t grow to be hers as well?”

“And what do I do if she doesn’t want to change?” Moze questioned, traces of desperation seeping into her voice. 

Fl4k paused and gently began stroking their chin. “Then she really is beyond redemption, and you have put her down or leave her to rot in a cell for the rest of her life. Whatever choice you make, however, as your friend I will support your decision. Even if your decision is foolish.” 

The woman gently scratched Broodless’s carapace as the creature proceeded to sleep next to its master. “And you’re sure you don’t mind me even attempting this? You don’t think I’m crazy?”

“On the contrary.” Fl4k remarked. “I find the thought of fighting alongside another siren besides Amara to be quite titillating. Plus, she is now the only person I know of who is large enough to assist me in subduing a saurian without the usage of heavy weaponry.” 

“I uh, I don’t know what to make of that, but thank you for the support. Now come on! I think I see a pack of skags coming down from that ridge over there!”

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The hunt with Fl4k had pulled off without a hitch.The prize? One cryogenically frozen skag, fresh for leeching. Moze’s morning hunt also had one additional benefit, it had helped to provide her with an answer on what she would do with the prisoner. Now late into the evening it was time to feed the prisoner, no, time to serve Tyreen her dinner, and to inform her of the ultimatum she would have to face if she wished to live. 

Moze gently knocked on the door of the cell, bringing with her the cart that had been used to transport the frozen skag. “Hey, uh. We need to talk.” 

Tyreen gently picked up the skag and proceeded to leech the creature on the tray. It’s lifeforce slowly draining away as its body crystalized into a crystal-like husk of its former self. “Frozen dinner tonight? Alright, no complaints here, superf-“ The siren stopped herself from taunting her caretaker. “Alright, Moze.” She replied, adjusting the bed linens that had served as a makeshift top. “What are we talking about?” 

The soldier took a long sigh and sat down opposite of Tyreen. “Look, I don’t think I need to tell you that you’ve pissed off a lot of people. Now all of those people want you dead, but against my better judgment I’ve insisted that you get sent to the Anvil on Eden-6. Real bitch taking that place back from the COV, thanks for that by the way.” Moze remarked sarcastically. 

“Sure are some dedicated, bastards. I’ll give em that.” Tyreen replied, grinning.

The grin served as a reminder to Moze exactly who it was she was dealing with. Exactly the reason why people wanted her dead in the first place. Sure, a combination of time in solitary, grief, a traumatic run in with an ancient extraterrestrial god, and possibly the development of Stockholm syndrome had lessened much of the prisoner’s hostility, but she was still one of the most dangerous people in the galaxy. “I’m shutting this down, right now. No, dude. Do you know how fucked up that is? Making people die for you, this god-complex of yours. No!” Moze, exclaimed. “I need to know that you know that you’ve been in the wrong! Prove to me that you can be better, because I just can’t deal with this anymore!” 

Tyreen stared at the soldier, horrified. Never in her life had anyone had the gall to talk to her in this manner. None of her enemies would dare try speaking to her in such a tone out of fear, Troy would never defy the one person keeping him alive, and even her father Typhon had never spoken to her before in such a way. His last words before she had killed him were not spoken with anger or rage, but with misery and regret. 

Tears slowly began to drop from the siren’s eyes. “Nobody ever cared about me, you know.” Tyreen began to sob. “I was a siren. Always a means to an end. I wasn’t a person. Dad always told Troy and I that we had to be careful or we’d be killed or used for our power. What’s so wrong with letting a few psychos die, huh? It’s just the way the universe works!” 

“I’m not a therapist or whatever, dude. But I know that having a bad past doesn’t give you a right to be an asshole! Or y’know, kill people! You get that, right? If you put up a fight when we transport you to the Anvil or if I think you’re going to make any moves that could jeopardize the lives of this crew, I’m supposed to execute you!” The soldier took a few breaths in an attempt to calm herself down. “You’ve had almost a month of time to think. You told me you felt guilty. So, do you really think that everything you’ve done is ok?”

The siren had stopped crying now. Still trying to process what she was feeling. This really was all her fault wasn’t it? She really did murder her own father, her delusions of grandeur had gotten her brother killed, and now all she had was her own ego. Actually, for some reason she had one thing left, and it was this vault hunter. This woman had potentially risked almost everything to save her life, but why? To be another means to an end? No, the soldier had her chance to kill her and she didn’t take it, nor had she hooked her up to some machine in an attempt to take advantage of her leeching abilities. Tyreen couldn’t muster the strength to verbally accept the truth, to say that she was in the wrong, but she had to give this woman something. She quickly made eye contact with the soldier and proceeded to shake her head. 

Moze stared at the prisoner in disbelief. “Holy shit.” She thought to herself. “Fl4k was right.”

“What happens now?” Tyreen asked somberly.

The vault hunter stood up and took a deep breath. “Alright, we’re making progress. Didn’t actually think I would get this far, but alright. Ok, uh, so if you know what you’ve done is wrong then you know you need to be held accountable for it, right?” 

The siren nodded ever so slightly, and in a tone that was practically a whisper she responded. “Yeah, Moze.”

“Ok, we’re two for two. Alright, so I guess this means that-” The soldier sighed. “I guess this means that you, um, you get to go to prison. Solitary most likely, but you get to live.”

Tyreen’s eyes began to water again. “No!” She pleaded, gently grabbing the smaller girl’s arm. “Please, don’t do this! I’ve only been in here a month, and I’m - I - I can’t be alone! All my life I had Troy and later I even had the church! It wasn’t good company, but no matter how bad the company was it was better than being by myself, please!”

Were this any other prisoner Moze would have laughed, but this wasn’t any other prisoner, it was Tyreen Calypso. The vault hunter groaned before she made a decision that would change her life forever. “One week, Tyreen.” She said firmly, glaring at the siren with a look that could kill. 

“One week until?”

“One week for you to prove to me that you’re worth all this trouble. If you can show me that you can change because you want to be better, and not just because I’m forcing you then I’ll -“ Moze paused, desperately attempting to figure out whether her idea was foolish or brilliant. “I’ll stay with you on Eden-6. Wainright and Hammerlock owe me a few favors anyways so I’m sure they won’t mind me keeping an eye on you, ok?” 

Before her defeat Tyreen would have laughed at this deal, a month ago she would have leeched this pathetic excuse for a vault hunter until she was nothing but a literal shell of her former self, but that was a month ago. That siren didn’t know of the soul-crushing horror that was solitary confinement. Weeks passing by with nothing to distract from the pain of everything she had done to get into this position in the first place, nothing to distract her from the grief, nothing except the very same woman who had locked her up in the first place. Clearly this vault hunter didn’t care what anyone thought about her decisions, she was blunt and to the point, she was one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen, and she was strong. The ex-Vladof soldier was the only person in the entire universe strong enough to stop her even when she had finally reached godhood. She knew she had to accept this deal, she had to at least try, but before she could she was left with only one question. “Why are you doing this for me, Moze?”

The vault hunter tried to formulate a response. If she said that she thought that she genuinely wanted Tyreen to suffer for her sins she would be spewing bullshit, and she knew Tyreen would know that too, death was the ultimate punishment for a person like her. But for one brief moment the two women’s eyes met, and deep down they felt it. A spark. 

Moze tried searching for an explanation for Tyreen but couldn’t. She quickly realized that she couldn’t think of an explanation that wasn’t the truth, and decided it was best to avoid the question altogether. “Look, I should go. I’ll be back tomorrow!” And with that the soldier quickly exited the room. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The next day was rather uneventful for Moze, most of it simply spent waiting for her next talk with the siren. Another day, another skag, and another attempt at trying to talk some sense into the former self-proclaimed god-queen herself. Moze braced herself and entered the cell with the prisoner’s dinner. The soldier watched as the colossal woman drained the life essence from the creature, proceeding to lick her lips lasciviously. 

“Sure didn’t make em like that back home.” Tyreen chuckled, gently brushing her hair out of her face. “Thanks.”

Moze looked concerningly at the siren. “Did you really have to eat like this your entire life? Since you were a kid?”

“Leech things? What? No, I can eat just like everyone else!” The taller woman laughed. “I was fucking with you! You wanted me alive for some reason, so I wanted to see exactly how far you were willing to go for me!”

Moze clenched her fists, shouting at her prisoner. “Are you fucking kidding me, dude?! So you could’ve been eating food like a regular fucking person this entire time?!”

Tyreen’s laugher began to fade. “I uh, yeah I could’ve, but as I’ve leeched things I’ve noticed that my-“ She gestured to the tendrils still attached to her body, and then to her face which still remained scarred and disfigured from her fusion with the destroyer. “Leeching things used to give me power, it was like a drug, now it’s actually been healing me. Don’t think the arm is ever gonna grow back.” She chuckled sadly. “But these things on my body have been going away, because of the leeching so-”

The soldier’s expression softened. “I get it.” She paused, staring at the strange alien protrusions on the woman’s body. “Does it hurt?” 

The siren gently touched her cheek. “It didn’t at first.” She replied somberly. “But once all this shit came off.” Gesturing to the scar of a withered tendril on her rib. “My skin just started burning.” 

“You’ve got an exposed wound, and no medical treatment. What was I fucking thinking?” Moze muttered quietly to herself, turning to face the siren. “This ship is basically just flying tetanus, I’ll talk to Tannis. I’m sure she can get you something that could at least alleviate the pain.”

“What like a lethal injection?” 

“No, smartass.” Moze scoffed. “She would never do anything like that, and besides I won’t let anyone hurt you.” A blush immediately began to form on Moze’s cheeks, she didn’t mean to phrase it that way. “Not like anyone could if they tried.” 

Tyreen blew a raspberry at the soldier. “You’re so right, vault hunter, but apparently I’m not allowed to fight back anymore. I’m just a helpless damsel, waiting for her big brave soldier to save her.” She remarked sarcastically.

“Maybe if you weren’t so damned extra all the time, you would’ve told me how you felt earlier. You should’ve just called yourself Drama-Queen Tyreen back when you were still on that ego trip of yours.” The soldier replied with a smirk.

And that remark was all it took to make the siren laugh. “God, I missed this! Troy and I used to joke around like this all the time. I didn’t think I’d miss him this much now that he - that he’s –” The short haired woman paused in a failed attempt to collect herself. “Now that he’s gone.” The woman began to sob. “This is all my fucking fault!” She roared, banging her fist against the wall of the ship. “How could I be so fucking stupid?!” 

Moze had to stop this right now. If the siren’s bashing continued, then security would inevitably show up and make her calm down by force. “Hey! Hey, Tyreen?” She said, slowly approaching the miserable woman, taking her hand. “Look at me, alright?” 

Tyreen clenched her teeth, tears rolling down her face, slowly turning to make eye contact with the vault hunter.

“Troy made his choice, alright? You didn’t force him to do anything. Everything he did was because he had, uh, free will! A free will that you have right now, and right now dude you’ve gotta calm down, please!”

The siren’s fingers gently wrapped around Moze’s hand. “Please, please, stop leaving me by myself in here, I can’t take this anymore. I left Nekrotafeyo because my worst fear was living my life in a cage, and now I literally do live in a cage. I know I deserve this, but there has to be another way! Every single day is getting harder, and I can’t fucking take it anymore!”

The vault hunter slowly withdrew her hand. “I’m going to talk to Tannis, and I’ll be right back. I’ll uh, I’ll think of something, alright?” 

Tyreen wiped her tears away and replied with a quiet “thank you.”

Moze exited the room, only to be greeted by a friendly but unexpected face.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Hey, sugar.” Moxxi purred. “Mind if I steal you away for a minute?”

“Hey, Moxxi, uh, what seems to be the problem?” The vault hunter asked repressing a blush.

“No problems for me, sugar. None that I can’t handle at least, but I hear you’ve got one big problem that I think you could use a lil help with.” 

“I’m sorry, but I kinda told Tyreen, I mean, I need to get back to the prisoner quickly, I- “ 

“Oh, hush up now, I’ll be quick. I promise.” Moxxi replied, dragging Moze to one of the dilapidated couches haphazardly placed nearby. 

“I, um, what did you want to talk about?”

“You like that Calypso girl, don’t you?”

“What? No!” Moze protested. “She’s a criminal! Why does everyone think I like her all of a sudden? I just-”

“Ah-ah-ah!” The barkeep interjected, wagging a finger. “You can’t lie to me, hon. You’ve got that look in your eyes, I can tell. C’mon, you can tell me anything, really. No judgement here, cross my heart.”

The vault hunter took a deep sigh before giving in. “I just – I don’t think she should die! Or spend the rest of her life locked up in a cage! She –”

“So, you think you can fix her?” Moxxi cut in. 

“I don’t want to fix her. I want her to fix herself.” 

“You’re walking on thin ice, sugar. A woman like that would do anything to protect herself. Yeah, she might actually try to be better, but she can also just act the part too.”

“But that’s exactly why I think she can change.” Moze replied, partly to Moxxi and partly to herself. “She’s basically been all alone in her cell for a month straight, and it broke her. If all it took was one month to get her to break down that massive fucking ego of hers, imagine what a lifetime of solitary would do to her? She has no choice but to be a better person!”

“Sweetie, I’m not gonna go into detail about the ethics of punishing prisoners, I did run my own coliseum after all, but I can tell you this: You put someone through their own personal hell, and they’ll most likely do anything to get out. I think anyone on this ship can tell you that Tyreen has enough issues as is, giving her more won’t help at all. You’ve got to let her heal first, and then maybe she’ll think clearly enough to be the person you want her to be.” 

“Yeah, you’re right, but the thing is nobody wants to volunteer to spend time with her while I’m out every afternoon. Who in their right mind would want to actually have to hang out with her?” Moze chuckled sadly. “I mean besides me.”

“That’s why I wanted to talk to you. I’ll spend time with her while you’re out, keep her from going even crazier in there.”

“What?! Why would you do that? I mean, I appreciate the offer, but why?”

“That girl is trouble, Moze, but you’re still fightin’ for her. The way I see it, once she’s back to her true self you’ll see that she either hasn’t changed at all or that she’s truly become a better person. Either way, she can’t make an actual choice till she’s recovered, and that won’t happen if she’s locked away alone in that cell of hers every single day.” Moxxi gently placed her hand on the soldier’s shoulder. “We care about you, Moze. All of us here just want you happy, and I’m willing to help you out.” 

The vault hunter rushed forward, embracing the barkeep in her arms. “Thank you! I – I don’t know what to say! But, going in there with her all alone? What if she tries to hurt you? I -”

“Oh, now don’t you worry about me, sugar, I can handle myself just fine. Now I promised I wouldn’t keep you, so you go on now. I’ll talk to you tomorrow about how the day went with Tyreen. 

Moze stood up and headed for Tannis’s lab, waving goodbye. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The laboratory reeked of formaldehyde and nachos. Moze instantly pinched her nose, repressing her urge to vomit. “Oh, god! That’s disgusting! What is going on in here?”

“Ah, hello, vault hunter!” Exclaimed one Patricia Tannis. “I believe you were looking for one of these?” She said, pulling out a medical pack from her satchel. 

Moze, still pinching her nose, took the health pack from the scientist. “Uh, yeah? How did you know?” 

“Call it my womanly intuition! Or call it my pastime of eating nachos in the air ducts while I eavesdrop on the residents of the ship. Actually, you should probably stick with the former explanation.” 

Moze desperately wished to rub her temples, but in order to do so she would be required to deal with the revolting smell that had permeated throughout the lab. “You were eavesdropping on us?!” 

“Now, now! Don’t get a big head, I eavesdrop on everybody on this ship. Anyways, can you blame me for being cautious? You have literally housed a woman who leeches the power of sirens on a ship with three other sirens!”

“That is a – That’s a good point, yeah, alright.” The soldier, replied. “You aren’t mad that she’s been stuck on the ship for so long?”

“Oh, on the contrary! I have been keeping watch on her when you leave on your morning expeditions, and I must say studying her healing process has been most interesting! Perhaps one day I can reverse engineer her leeching progress, it would be fascinating! Think of all the possibilities! I-”

“Gee! That’s great, Tannis!” Moze burst. “But, uh, I need to get going now, thanks for the health pack! And if you could like, stop eavesdropping on me that would be great, thanks!”

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When Moze returned to the cell she found Tyreen curled up on the floor. 

“You actually brought a health pack?” The siren asked, wearily. 

“Uh, yeah, dude. I told you I was going too, why would I lie about that?”

“People lie all the time.”

“Not me.” Moze replied in a serious tone. “Now sit up, let me try to patch you up.” 

The siren slowly shifted to a sitting position allowing Moze to get a better view of her scars. Even while sitting down Tyreen was now slightly taller than the vault hunter. Her growth had made her feel superhuman, she was larger than life, a true goddess, and anyone who dared look her way would know that. Unfortunately, the siren knew that there would be one serious drawback to her size change, or actually, two. The first problem was the fact that nobody made clothes for a person her size, which meant that she had to use extra blankets Moze had provided her for clothing. It looked horrendous, one bed linen wrapped around her chest, and another around her legs, she looked like something out of an old ECHOnet film. The second drawback was that many people would come to view her as some sort of freak. Just being a siren was enough for most people to label you as a monster, being one who was nearly fifteen feet tall guaranteed it. From what she could gather, however, Moze didn’t seem to mind. 

Tyreen winced as the vault hunter carefully applied gel over her wounds. “I have no idea how this shit works, but it does.” Moze remarked. “It won’t get rid of the –” The soldier wiggled her fingers, gesticulating to the few remaining tendrils on the siren’s ribs. “But it’ll help the pain and prevent any infections. Worked like a dream back when I served for Vladof.” 

The siren slowly curled back onto the floor and closed her eyes. “Would you mind staying in here with me tonight? Just until I fall asleep?”

Moze sat down, resting her head against the wall. “Yeah, alright, just for tonight.” She knew it was a lie, that she’d give in if asked again, but she couldn’t help herself. The siren was actually making progress, and she wanted to enjoy her success.


	2. The Siren and the Barkeep

One of life’s defining traits is its unpredictability, it was a lesson that Moze had learned many times over the course of her life. The three primary examples that the soldier would give you when asked how she had learned this lesson went a little something like this: 

The time she was learning to ride a bike, and was hit in the head by a bird as she looked for traffic on a busy road. 

The time she had learned that her former commanding officer was shocked over her desertion, not figuratively, but literally. 

And the time that she had awoken to the realization that Tyreen Calypso, the former ex-cult leader, was fast-asleep on her lap. 

Moze had wanted to be revolted, she wanted to be as disgusted as any other rational thinking person would be in this position and simply shove the siren off, but no matter how hard she had tried she couldn’t stop herself from enjoying the sensation of having the siren so close. The vault hunter simply rested her eyes and waited for the taller woman to wake up.

Tyreen woke, quickly realizing that she had not been resting on the steel floor she had grown so accustomed too, but was in fact, using the soldier’s legs as a pillow. She darted up instantly, her face as red as a tomato, and tried to think of something to say, but all that she could muster was a simple: “Hey, vault hunter.”

The gunner had to keep her cool. She couldn’t allow her prisoner to learn that she was actually enjoying herself. It was absolutely essential that she kept up the lie that she was taking care of Tyreen solely because of her moral compass, and not because she was infatuated with her. She had to say something. So, she decided to stick with what she knew best, and deal with the problem the way she handled all of her problems, with humor. “You sleep well?” She asked teasingly.

Tyreen stumbled repeatedly over her words. “I – I uh. Cell must’ve been really cold, last night for me to do that. You’re really lucky, not many people –” Before she could finish her sentence, however, she was cut off by an abrupt knock at the door. 

“Hey, you two.” Came a muffled voice from the door. “Mind if I come in?”

“Yes!” The two girls shouted in unison, promptly causing them both to exchange glances.

The cell door immediately proceeded to open revealing the voice to be none other than Sanctuary’s resident barkeep, Moxxi. “Moze, hon. Your friend, Fl4k is here on the ship. You slept in.”

“Oh, shit!” The soldier replied, instantly running for the door. “Thanks for the heads up, Moxx. I owe ya!”

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all, sweetie. And a promise is a promise, I’ll look after this one here while you’re gone.” Moxxi replied, gesturing to the siren.

The gunner’s gaze instantly shifted towards the taller woman. “If you try anything-”

“I know.” Tyreen interjected. “Just go already, I –” She paused, carefully taking note of her own tone. Ego had kept her from making a verbal apology, but the guilt in her eyes said enough for Moze not to press her any further. 

“Later you two.” Moze said, exiting the door. “And thanks again, Moxxi!”

The door proceeded to shut, leaving the barkeep and the siren completely by themselves. Their eyes met, piercing into each other like daggers. The seconds passed like hours until the standstill was finally ended by Tyreen using her now enormous hand to grip Moxxi around the waist, forcing her to the ground. 

“I could crush you in an instant!” Tyreen spat. “I could leech you right now, and there’s nothing anybody could do about it!”

Moxxi, completely unfazed by the siren’s threats, carefully pulled out a bottle of lipstick, and began to apply it. “I know you can, sugar.” She replied, matter-of-factly. 

The siren froze, partly because this woman had now become the second person to actually resist her intimidation tactics, and partly because she had wondered where she had gotten that bottle of lipstick from. 

“If you’re finished with this little act of yours then I’d like to stand up, please. I have work to do.” The shorter woman replied.

Tyreen apprehensively released the barkeep, proceeding to sit back down. “What do you mean by work?” The siren questioned. Before she could get her answer, however, she found that Moxxi had actually pulled out measuring tape and was now beginning to take her measurements. “And where do you keep getting all this stuff from?!” 

“The 50-foot woman look was never in, sugar, and this is no way to dress to your first day of work. I don’t know what materials I have at hand, but I guarantee you it’ll look much better in whatever I can make you than this.” She replied, gesturing to the siren’s current makeshift outfit. 

“Work?” Tyreen scoffed. “Are you crazy? What do you expect me to do inside this cell?”

“Who said anything about working in a cell?” Moxxi replied. “Now c’mon, we’ve got a busy day ahead of us!” And with that remark, she opened the cell door, and smiled.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fuel reserves on Sanctuary had begun to run low, which meant that in order to get to Eden-6 on time, the ship would have to leave tomorrow morning, pacing out their flight over the next few days as opposed to arriving instantaneously in hyperspace. It was the last day Moze and Fl4k would spend together hunting, and they wanted to make the best of it.

“You sure you don’t wanna come with us, dude?” Moze asked the robot. “We’re going to Eden-6! The whole planet is basically one big safari! We could really use you over there!”

“I appreciate the offer, Moserah, but I still have unfinished business here on Pandora.” Fl4k replied, peering through the scope of their rifle. “Come here, there’s something I think you’d want to see.”

Moze took her friend’s rifle and began looking through the scope. “What is it? I don’t see anythi- Holy shit, now that is a big skag!” Just down the hill from the duo was an enormous skag, easily large enough to eat a person in a single bite. “That’s really, uh, interesting, dude. But what exactly are you implying here?” The gunner asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“We’re going to catch it.” 

The gunner and the beastmaster proceeded to head down the hill, bracing themselves for a fight.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Back on Sanctuary III, Tyreen was, as many famous psychologists would say “losing her shit.” 

The siren laughed hysterically as she looked at the cell door which still remained wide open. An entire ship’s worth of residents fresh for leeching. “Are you fucking crazy?” Do you realize what you’ve done? How could you possibly trust me?” Tyreen questioned, now contemplating whether or not this scenario was actually some elaborate trap to kill her.

“Oh, I wouldn’t trust you as far as I could throw you, sugar.” Moxxi replied. “But I trust Moze, and for some reason she believes in you. So, I guess the real question here is if you plan to disappoint her.” The barkeep proceeded to head out the door, leaving it open, and continued. “I’ll be waiting out here while you make up your mind, hon. If you want to kill everyone on this ship, well I suppose there would be nobody here to stop you, but then you’d lose the only person left in the universe who truly cares about you. If you want penance, then you can come with me to the cargo bay, and we can get to work.”

The siren froze. It would be so easy to escape. She could fight her way to the bridge, then simply transmit a message back to the children of the vault, let them know she was still alive, and rebuild her army, she could ensure that they would be even stronger this time. Now with Troy gone they would have a martyr, they could rally across the galaxy, burning all that stood in their wake. It would have been an easy task, were it not for the fact that deep down, her priorities had changed. She no longer desired to be the biggest, brightest star in the galaxy. She no longer desired to have a following so large and powerful that no power in the universe could possibly come to rival hers. She was tired, too tired, and above else she just wanted comfort, and someone to take away all of her pain. Tyreen slowly began to squeeze herself through the doorway now much too small for her, and emerged on the other side, free of the cell she had been restrained in for so long. 

“Where’s the cargo bay?” Tyreen asked wearily.

“Right this way, sugar.” Moxxi replied with a wink. The two made their way down to the cargo bay, turning the heads of almost every single person on the ship. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“No! No, ma! I’ve gone with a lotta yer plans, but whatever this is, I don’t like it!” Ellie spat. “There ain’t no way in hell I’m gonna be workin’ with this big ol’ psychopath!” 

“No, Ellie. She’s going to be working for you, not with you.” Moxxi replied sternly.

“Well I don’t care who she’s workin’ for! She ain’t doin’ it down here! Have y’all lost it? Why would I even consider this?”

“Because by helping Tyreen you’re helping out Moze.”

“Mozie? The VH? How could helping out this criminal help out the – Oh, no. You’re kiddin,’ right? Y’all can’t be sayin’ what I think yer tryin’ to say?” Ellie asked her mother, traces of confusion and sadness seeping into her voice. “VH is too smart for that, she –”

“She does, Ellie.” Moxxi replied, clearly referencing the vault hunter’s infatuation with the siren. “She’s done so much and risked so much for us, Elle. She deserves a win.” 

“I – I – Alright, fine! I guess that Tyreen gal can do some heavy liftin’ for me down here, but if she tries anything, I’m puttin’ her down, alright? Say, where’d she go, anywa-”

Ellie’s question was simultaneously answered, and cut off by the screaming of a small, orange robot. 

“Does this thing ever shut up?” Tyreen asked, Claptrap in hand, the robots screams of terror filling the cargo bay. 

“No. He doesn’t.” Moxxi replied. “Now, can you please put him down? He’s annoying, but he’s part of the crew.” 

“Fine.” The colossal siren groaned, sounding more like an exasperated teenager than a war criminal. She immediately proceeded to toss the robot back to the ground and chuckled. “See? I can play nice.”

Ellie shook her head. “Alright, if you’re gonna be workin’ down here I’ve gotta set a few ground rules! First of all, you ain’t workin’ down here wearin’ that outfit! If one of them blankets gets caught in the machinery not only are you gonna be runnin’ around here buckass naked, but you might be liable to losin’ your other arm!”

“That reminds me.” Moxxi, interrupted. “Sorry for interrupting, Elle, but I can work on her new outfit right now, you mind lettin’ me use one of your digistruct devices?” 

“Uh, sure, ma, but just where do ya think yer gonna get all the fabric to make her outfit? This here is a machine workshop, not a tailor store.”  
“I know, hon.” Moxxi replied with a mirthful chuckle. “I’ll be using a carbon nanofiber mesh to make her something a little more appropriate. Just give me a couple minutes to do the math, and I’ll have your mesh in no time.” 

“You know how to operate all these machines?!” The siren burst, unable to comprehend how or when the barkeep could gain the knowledge to gain such a technical expertise. 

“Ma worked on machines all her life.” Ellie replied. “She’s a master mechanic, and engineer! Don’t know why she got caught up in the bartendin’ scene with repair skills like hers!” 

“We all wear different hats over the course of our lives, sugar.” Moxxi replied, smiling at the siren. “I just happen to wear all mine perfectly. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get started on this outfit of yours.”

Tyreen nodded and continued to listen to the mechanic’s list of rules.

“Alright, where was I?” Ellie continued. “Right! Rule number two! No killin’ anybody!” 

Listening to this woman’s rambling was exhausting, and were she in different circumstances she would have killed her instantly, but she was free of her cell, she wasn’t alone, and although she refused to acknowledge it, she actually had a chance to prove herself to the soldier who had saved her life. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Down on Pandora, Moze and Fl4k’s mission to capture the giant skag was going as well as one would expect. Moze’s cryo rifle had somehow managed to accidentally get caught onto the enormous skag’s collar, meaning that the pair’s next move had to be to retrieve the weapon or be forced to simply put the beast down, wasting an entire day’s worth of effort in a matter of minutes. The plan to retrieve the gun was this: Fl4k would use himself as live bait and lure the creature beneath a high ledge, Moze would use the ledge to jump onto the skag’s back, she would then retrieve the gun from the collar and shoot the beast until it was frozen solid. 

The first two steps were pulled off fairly easily, but it was the third that had been the most troublesome. Immediately upon landing on the beast’s back, the gunner had found herself being bucked forward. She desperately grabbed for something to hold onto and was fortunate enough to have managed to latch onto the very collar of the skag itself. She desperately reached for the hook of the collar and unbuckled it, sending both her, the gun, and the collar careening to the desert sand. Fl4k retrieved the weapon and fired. It took almost the entire clip, but the beastmaster was successful in freezing the beast. 

“Good job, dude!” The soldier cheered, dusting herself off. “Why was that thing wearing a collar anyways? That’s kind of weird.”

Fl4k sighed. “Many people adopt baby skags thinking them cute, but when they start to grow older many are often released into the wild. It is very unfortunate.” 

Moze frowned. At first it was a result of the answer to her question, and then as the result of a horrible epiphany. The joy on her face disappeared almost instantly.

Fl4k, noting their friend’s distress, quickly inquired as to what had been bugging her. “Is everything alright?”

Moze couldn’t stop herself from facepalming. “We froze the skag, but it’s too big to fit in the ship. How are we going to get it to Tyreen?” 

The beastmaster, quickly realizing that upon their excitement they truly hadn’t thought this plan out properly, had only one response: “Oh, shit.”

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

While the adventure Moze had earlier was extremely amusing, exactly the type of excitement she thought she would have when becoming a vault hunter, she had ultimately returned home empty handed. She had no loot, no “food,” and no money. All she had returned with was the collar retrieved from the colossal skag. She opened the cell door, waiting to tell Moxxi and the siren of her failings only to realize that her former room was now empty. Terror filled the gunner’s heart. She ran as fast as she could to Moxxi’s bar, desperately hoping to find an answer. Questioning the patrons, she had learned that both Tyreen and the barkeep had last been seen heading down to the cargo bay, which is exactly where she headed next.

“Where is Tyreen?!” Moze shouted, completely out of breath. 

“Oh, hey, sugar.” Moxxi replied calmly. “She’s just puttin’ on her new wardrobe, she’ll be out in a couple seconds.”

“What do you mean ‘new wardrobe?’” The vault hunter asked, desperately trying to conceal the frustration in her voice. 

Moxxi’s prediction was correct, and a few seconds later the siren had reentered the cargo bay. She was dressed in a tank top, black camouflaged cargo pants, and a pair of combat boots. Moze’s anger evaporated instantly, her cheeks turned a bright red, she tried to find the right words to say but ultimately remained speechless.

“I know, sugar.” Moxie replied dryly. “I let her decide what she wants to wear, and this is what she picks. I was quite stupefied myself.” 

Tyreen instantly looked to the soldier, unable to suppress her smile, quickly noticing the enormous collar in Moze’s hand. “Ooh, is that for me?!” She remarked eagerly, quickly taking the collar and fastening it around her neck. “Where did you even find a choker this big? This is awesome!” 

Moze chuckled nervously. “It’s from a, uh, from a giant skag we ended up killing earlier. Fl4k and I were going to bring the skag up here but-”

“Oh, man!” The siren interjected. “You killed something to get this for me? I love it!” An urge within Tyreen drove her to embrace the gunner, to show her how thankful she was, but she knew that she couldn’t let her excitement show. At the end of the day she knew nothing could ever come out of this, this was all a formality, just a small apology before a lifetime of misery and imprisonment. Her excitement diminished until all she could do was let out a sad smile. 

The vault hunter quickly turned to Moxxi to question her on what events had transpired to lead them all into this situation, but she had already seemingly read her mind. 

“Tyreen is going to be working down here until we get to Eden-6.” The barkeep replied. “This way you can get some rest, and she won’t have to be stuck in that cell the entire time.”

“Thanks for doing this for me, Moxx. I really appreciate it.” 

“It’s no problem, vault hunter. Now I’m gonna head on up to the bar, I need to make sure nobody’s burned the place down. See ya, tomorrow, sugar.” She replied, heading back up the stairs. 

Tyreen looked down upon the soldier. “I’m guessing you won’t take me to the bar, huh?”

Moze frowned and shook her head. “Let’s go home, c’mon.”

The siren laughed at the soldier’s choice of words. “Home.” This floating prison wasn’t a home, it was – it was – the more Tyreen thought about it, the more she realized she never truly had a place to call home in the first place. Nekrotafeyo wasn’t her home, Pandora wasn’t her home, she had nothing. Upon further introspection, however, she had recalled words from her father. She remembered that once he had mentioned anywhere could be home so long as he was with Leda, and it was only with that realization that she had realized that her imprisonment wasn’t so difficult with Moze’s company, she wouldn’t dare call the woman her true home, but a part of the siren wished that she could.


	3. Ava

For the first time in a long time, Moze had woken up stress-free. As she had predicted, Tyreen had asked her to remain in the cell until she fell asleep, and once again, she gave in to the siren’s wishes. Not just by keeping watch over her, but by unintentionally falling asleep in her cell as well. 

Although the soldier would never admit it, the feeling of Tyreen’s head atop her lap was beginning to become quite pleasant. She had always wanted to have a proper relationship, maybe even with another vault hunter, but she simply didn’t have the time, and she had never found anyone to be worth the effort anyways. It figured that now, the one woman she did somehow manage to develop feelings for, would require all the effort she could possibly muster.

Tyreen woke up with a groan, slowly turning to face the soldier. Moze had expected another flustered reaction but was instead greeted with a soft chuckle. 

“Do you ever take that helmet off?” The siren asked, gently picking up the headwear and rotating it in between her thumb and index fingers. 

Moze grabbed the helmet back from Tyreen and placed it back atop her head. “No. Not really.” She replied somberly.

The truth of the matter was that Moze had grown accustomed to wearing the helmet at all times because of Vladof. Every company had its trademark: Maliwan was known for its sleek and elemental weaponry, Tediore was commonly associated with being the cheapest of all the brands, and Hyperion was now practically synonymous with the horrors of Handsome Jack’s past atrocities. Vladof, however, was known for the ludicrous fire rates of their weaponry, and the size of its massive army. Battalions of troopers always ready for battle, ready to take down their fascist oppressors. Many years of the vault hunter’s life were actually spent sleeping inside her Iron Bear suit, it made life much easier. For one thing, she was always ready for combat, but it also made the killing easier. Murder and death became accomplished with the push of a button, innocents who’s lives turned into ‘collateral’ became an afterthought, just more stats and figures for some egghead to deal with. 

The soldier had committed many nefarious acts when working under Vladof. At first, she could fool herself, believing that she was fighting for a cause larger than herself. It became easy to separate herself from her actions when she could always just place the blame on a commanding officer, but she wasn’t an idiot. She knew that eventually she had to get out. Was it not for the love of her squad, and the promise of being able to keep Iron Bear for herself, she would have defected from Vladof much sooner than she did. But at the end of the day, she still knew she was in the wrong, and she had hoped that much of her work as a Vault Hunter would eventually offset the sins of her past. She had reached the conclusion that it was her history with Vladof that had caused her to empathize with the siren, for she had come to believe that Tyreen could be redeemed because somehow, despite all odds, she had managed to become a better person too.

Upon noticing the distress upon the soldier’s face, Tyreen began to feel slightly irritated. She wanted to believe that her feelings were a result of being annoyed with Moze’s sudden gloominess, but deep down she knew that it was guilt. Guilt for making her feel this way, guilt for making her life so much harder, guilt for sabotaging any possible chance of even a friendship with this woman, the one who had risked everything to keep her alive. She decided that she would try to cheer up the vault hunter. Unfortunately, kindness was completely alien to the siren, and instead of words of sympathy, all she could muster to say was: “That helmet wouldn’t protect you from me, y’know. There’s actually nothing you could do or wear that would keep you safe from me if I really wanted you dead.” 

The vault hunter’s melancholy quickly turned to perplexity. “Um, that’s good to know?” 

Tyreen, instantly realizing she had no idea how to rectify this situation could only respond with a proper compliment, one from the heart. “I would never actually kill you though.” The siren chuckled nervously. “You’re actually kinda cute, and I-” She abruptly stopped herself from speaking. Stupid! How could she be so stupid? Disappointed with herself, acting like some sort of Promethean schoolgirl instead of the goddess she knew she truly was, she stopped talking and began to blush. 

The smile that had begun to form on the soldier’s face was unmistakable. “Was that a compliment?” She asked smugly. 

Tyreen couldn’t help but to smile back. “Don’t suppose you’ll let me go if I say yes?”

“Not a chance.” Moze replied sternly, trying to repress a smile. “Speaking of, c’mon! Let’s head to the bridge, it’ll give you some time to stretch your legs before you head to work.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Moze and Tyreen had entered the bridge completely oblivious to the fact that this part of the ship was the preferred domain of another very troubled siren, Ava. Within a second of stepping foot into the bridge, Tyreen was instantly caught within a tear in the very vacuum of space. A purple and black singularity had enveloped the massive siren causing her to gasp in pain, she was trapped in a phaselock.

“What is that freak doing on the bridge?!” Yelled the voice of a young, blue-haired siren. 

“Let her go!” Moze replied, watching as Ava had begun to squeeze her grip tighter around her prisoner. “She’s with me! I’m just letting her –”

“I don’t care what you’re ‘letting her do’ or not!” Ava burst. “You should’ve ‘let’ her die back on Pandora!” 

“She gave up! I couldn’t execute someone who was surrendering! We’re the Crimson raiders! We’re not Vladof! We’re not bandits!”

“Well she is!” The teenager replied, beginning to compress the voidlock so tightly that tears were now beginning to stream down Tyreen’s face. “We kill bandits all the time! You’ve probably killed hundreds! Why are you suddenly making an exception for the one who’s actually been telling them what to do?!” 

Moze fumbled over her words, desperately searching for the right words to say, she was used to speaking with her rifle, with the screams of Iron Bear’s cannons, Vladof had not given her the training to defuse a hostage negotiation with an enraged, teenage siren. “Just – Just put her down and we can talk. I –”

“Did she give Maya a chance to talk before she killed her?!” The young siren spat, tears now beginning to swell in her eyes as well. 

Tyreen’s pain was becoming unbearable. Her entire body felt as if it were being crushed by an enormous invisible hand. “I’m – I’m sorry!” Tyreen screamed. “I didn’t know Troy was gonna -”

“I don’t care what you think!” Ava interjected. “Maya is dead! Lilith is dead! My friends are dead, because of you!” The blue-haired siren screamed, throwing the void singularity, causing Tyreen to crash against the wall with a loud thud. 

Moze quickly ran to the prisoner to ensure that she had not been seriously wounded, only to find that the taller siren had once again been caught in another phaselock. Moze, along with the rest of the bridge’s flight-crew, and even BALEX could only watch helplessly as Ava started to squeeze Tyreen within her phaselock again. 

“Why are you running to check on her?!” Ava shouted. “What reason could you possibly have for caring so much about this monster?!” 

“That’s enough!” Moze roared, horrified to hear that Tyreen’s physical anguish was now so strong that she had started scream. Unable to cope with the prisoner’s cries, Moze approached the teenager. “I’m only gonna say this once. Let her go.” She replied, glaring at the younger woman.

Ava returned the soldier’s glare and threw the phased siren so hard against the wall that it had left a physical dent. She slowly approached Tyreen who was now sobbing on the floor, and kneeled. “I’m right here! Fight back! I know you want to kill me! I know you’d leech me if you could!”

The taller siren looked deep into Ava’s eyes, trying to speak in between sobs. “My whole – my whole family is dead because of me! Troy, dad – mommy - I - I don’t want to hurt anyone anymore. I’m sorry.”

“Being sorry won’t bring back your family or my friends!” The younger siren burst, heading towards the navigation console of the ship. As she made her way she forcefully bumped into the soldier’s shoulder. “You’re a fucking disgrace, Moze.” She muttered. “I’ll make sure we get to Eden-6, just get off my bridge.”

The soldier knelt down next to Tyreen trying to help her up. She was much too large to actually help her stand, but she needed to at least try. The prisoner eventually managed to get back onto her own two feet and left the bridge with the soldier. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

There was only one hour left until Sanctuary would leave Pandora’s orbit to start its voyage to Eden-6, meaning that the entire ship was full of activity, and loose lips. 

“What’s wrong?” Moxxie questioned worryingly. Noticing the distress of the two girls who had just made their way into the cargo bay. 

Tears still dripped from Tyreen’s eyes, a combination of both the physical and mental anguish she had felt just seconds prior. She had wanted to say something, anything, but all that came out were whimpers.

Moze was in an equally uncomfortable situation. She had wanted to comfort the siren, she had wanted to tell her that Ava was wrong about everything she had said, but if she did it would have been a lie. The soldier merely looked towards the barkeep and muttered the name of their assailant. “Ava.”

Moxxi frowned. “She’s had a hard time getting used to life after, well, everything. Teenagers can be difficult to handle, let alone one in grief with siren abilities.” 

Tyreen finally managed to speak. “I should’ve done something.” She spat, anger slowly rising within her. “I was so weak, it was pathetic! I should’ve -”

“Sometimes the strongest thing you can do is keep your mouth shut, honey.” Moxxi interrupted. “It’s all a matter of circumstance, but from what I can imagine you did the right thing.” 

The siren slowly turned to Moze, looking for affirmation of the barkeep’s comments. “It’s true.” The soldier replied. “You were strong, Tyreen. I know you could’ve fought back if you really wanted too but you didn’t. I’m proud of you, dude.”

Those were words that the siren had never heard before in her life, not even from her father. Maybe it was because she was always a recalcitrant little shit, even before she left Nekrotafayo, or maybe it was because there was some part of him that had blamed her for the death of her mother. The entire Calypso/DeLeon family knew Leda’s untimely death was an accident, they knew Tyreen did not have mastery over her powers yet, but even a good person can make cruel decisions while in pain, and while Typhon still loved his daughter, even Troy was able to detect the traces of resentment in his voice whenever he talked to her.

Maybe it was the adrenaline, or maybe it was the strange warmth that the soldier’s words had caused her to feel, but whatever the reason, the verbal affirmation of Moze’s pride caused Tyreen to react in a way that no one had expected. The siren proceeded to kneel down and slowly drew herself towards the soldier, planting a kiss upon Moze’s cheek. The kiss was gentle and soft, two words that Moze never would have thought could be used to describe the siren based upon her past history and temperament, but here she was. 

Tyreen slowly stood back up to her full height and began to blush. “Thank you for taking care of me.” She commented softly, quickly noticing the shock upon Moxxi and Moze’s faces. “Um, don’t make a thing out of it.” She quickly added. “I’m going to, uh, see if Ellie needs any help. Bye.” And with that she quickly entered another room.

“My, my.” Moxxi replied with a soft chuckle. “Didn’t see that one coming. You just remember what I told you though, Moze. Tread lightly with her.” 

The flustered soldier, still in shock over the multitude of events that had transpired over the morning simply replied. “I need a drink.”

“That makes two of us, and speaking of which, I think a couple of friends of yours are down at the bar. I think you might want to pay em' a visit.” 

“Yeah, I think I will. Thanks, Moxx!”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The gunner walked into Moxxi’s, instantly recognizing two very familiar faces sitting at the bar. “Oh, hey! Look who it is!” Remarked a man with a strong accent. “If it isn’t the hero of pandora herself! Moze, me old friend! C’mere! Let me buy ya something to drink!”

“Moserah! It is good to see you!” added a very muscular siren. 

Zane and Amara sat up, each taking a turn to give the soldier a hug. 

“Where’ve ye been, Mozie?” The operative questioned. “Been over a month since we last saw ya, we were beginning to get worried!”

“He’s right!” Amara cut in. “Were it not for the fact that you had apprehended the destroyer, we actually would’ve been worried that you were killed!”

“I’ve been alright.” Moze replied, taking a seat on a barstool. “I’ve just been busy taking care of – Guarding the prisoner.”

“Oy! I thought taking care of beasts was Fl4ks job!” Zane joked, slapping Moze on the back. “You’re a vault hunter! Surely ye could’ve just raised the money to hire someone to watch her for ya!”

The soldier, still partially in shock from her morning had difficulty formulating a proper response. “I – Um, it’s just –”

“Oh, it doesn’t matter why she did it, Zane!” Amara interjected. “What matters is that she’s here with us now!”

“Cheers to that!” The operative replied, embracing the two girls in his arms. “Look at us! Back together again like a big ol’ family! Only wish Fl4k was here, crazy bastard. Where are they anyways?”

“They’re still on Pandora.” Moze replied. “We’ve both been so caught up trying to take care of Tyreen they really fell behind on a lot of other personal tasks.” 

“After having to deal with her for so long.” Amara commented, taking a swig of her drink. “I’m surprised you haven’t wanted to take a break! Hammerlock has hired us to go cryptid hunting down on Eden-6, you should come with us!” 

Moze frowned and turned to the siren. “I wish I could, really, but I need to take care of Tyreen.”

“Take care of her! What like a pet?” Zane joked. “It’ll only be a couple days, Moze! Then you can go right back to watchin’ that psycho!”

“I know.” Moze replied. “But that’s 48 hours she’s going to spend alone in her cell. Solitary is fucked up enough as is, but Tyreen’s a social person, as weird as that is. Locking her up alone just feels fucked up now. It’s like making someone who’s allergic to pickles have to eat pickles every day, on top of being in prison. It’s just needlessly cruel, dude.”

“Wouldn’t be a problem for me!” The operative burst. “I love me some pickles.”

“You disgust me.” Amara chuckled. “Pickles are an abomination. Anyways, Moze, she’s still alive, you saved her life. She should just be grateful enough that she’s still around in the first place. She has committed too many crimes to go unpunished.”

Moze rubbed her temples and gestured for the bartender to serve her a drink. “I know, Amara, but. She’s changing, dude. I feel it.”

“Changing!” Zane laughed. “She started an evil church, kills people to live, murdered her whole family, the list goes on! It’s too late for change, Moze!”

“Says who?” Moze burst, in a tone that was a little more aggressive than she had intended. “If a person truly wants to become better, don’t they deserve that chance? She’s doing her time and learning to be better! That’s why we need prisons right? So she can come out the other end reformed?”

“I need another drink.” Zane remarked dryly. 

“Why do you suddenly care so much for this woman, Moserah?” Amara asked. “You need time for yourself too, y’know! It’s not healthy to center your existence around one person, especially if that person is Tyreen Calypso.”

Moze had wanted to tell her friends the truth. She wanted to confess, to admit that she had somehow fallen for an intergalactic criminal, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t find the words, there was no way she could express her true feelings without disappointing her friends. So, taking the path of least resistance, she merely replied with: “Alright, I’ll go on your hunting expedition.”

The siren and the operative cheered in response. “Hey! Let’s drink to that!” Zane burst. “It’ll be great, I promise! C’mon drink up now! It’s time to celebrate!”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Moze returned to Tyreen’s cell and her former room, much later into the “evening.” While she had enjoyed the time with her friends, she did not enjoy the fact that she was going to have to inform Tyreen of the fact that she would have to go back on her promise, and leave the siren alone in her future jail cell for two entire days. Moze entered the cell only to discover that Tyreen was already waiting for her inside. Her body was lounged out across the floor, practically stretching from one side of the room to the other. 

“Heya, Moze! Check out my new shorts!” The siren replied, gesturing to the new pajama bottoms she was now wearing. “With all these losers comin’ and goin’ off the ship, Moxxi said she was able to get me more material for more clothes, and voila! Pajamas! Pretty hot though, right?”

The soldier tried to pry her eyes away from the siren’s long, toned legs, but was entirely unsuccessful. Tina was right, Tyreen really did have some serious “gams” now. Unable to think of a response, Moze just smiled. 

“I take it from your silence, and that stupid look on your face that you approve?” Tyreen asked smugly.

“I – I – Um, yeah!” Moze replied. “You look good! Uh, why did Moxxi make you more clothes anyways? Even if she did get more materials I don't get why she's go out of her way to make you more clothes.”

“Ok, ok. So, get this.” Tyreen responded enthusiastically. “This super annoying dude walked into the cargo bay, right? And he see’s me, and starts freaking out, and he’s going on and on about how I’m a monster or whatever, right? And I didn’t kill him! Isn’t that fucking great?!”

“So, Moxxi rewarded you, because you didn’t kill anyone?” Moze questioned wearily.

“No! I wanted to brag about my self-restraint. Didn’t kill em’! Your welcome! Anyways, no, Moxxi made me these because I helped her move some boxes even though she didn’t ask for help. If I knew people gave you free shit just for helping out, I would’ve started years ago!”

“Shocking!” Moze remarked sarcastically. “Hey, I need to talk to you abou-

“Not now, vault hunter.” The siren replied. “All this being a good person bullshit is exhausting, and I’m still really worn out from this morning. I’m going to sleep! Night!”

The gunner sighed and took a seat against the wall. Maybe it was better that she talked about this trip in the morning. It would give her more time to think, more time to lessen the siren’s pain, and more time to contemplate Amara’s words. The Tiger of Partali was right, after all. Once Tyreen was locked up in the Anvil there would be no way that Moze could realistically remain with her, and by promising to keep the siren company she would basically be imprisoning herself. She had to ensure that the siren was brought to justice and paid for her crimes, but not like this, for both their sakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been wanting to upload more than once a week since school hasn't started yet, but I'm just getting over a bug that's prevented me from doing literally anything productive this past weekend, and has severely held me back from this goal. I'm feeling much better now though, so I hope to get right back to it!


	4. The Barkeep's Assistant

Moze awoke the next morning to what sounded like the dying cries of a skag. Still groggy from a night spent overthinking, the soldier wearily drew out a pistol preparing for a fight.

“What’s going on?” She demanded sleepily.

“Oh, mornin’ sleepyhead!” Tyreen exclaimed happily. “You like this band too, huh?”

The vault hunter slowly holstered her weapon and noticed that the siren had somehow managed to activate the radio in her room, and changing it to the worst song on that she could possibly find.

“Band? This doesn’t sound like music it sounds like death.” Moze replied wearily. 

Tyreen giggled with delight. “The band is ‘Three Skags and a Jabber!’ There used to be four skags, but in this song the lead singer gets eaten by the other members!”

“Jeez, dude.” Moze responded, turning down the radio. “You actually like this shit?”

The taller woman nodded her head as she proceeded to dance to a nonexistent beat. “It’s not shit it’s art, now turn it back up! Please.”

The vault hunter sighed and sat back against the wall. “We need to talk, dude.”

The tone of Moze’s voice was difficult for Tyreen to discern. Paying attention to people’s emotions was irrelevant to a god-queen, but she was past that dream, and this woman sitting before her wasn’t just any other person. Whatever she was about to say wasn’t good, and the siren was unable to mask the concern in her voice as she replied back with a simple “sup?”

The soldier gently rubbed her temples. “I’m going on a hunting trip with a couple other vault hunters when we get down to Eden-6 and -” 

“We’re going on a hunting trip?!” Tyreen interrupted, attempting to feign enthusiasm, knowing full-well that the soldier had no intentions of bringing her along.

“No, Tyreen. I, uh, you’re gonna be alone for a couple days and –l”

Panic and terror slowly began to swell within the siren. “Alone as in solitary? Again?! But- you promised! I – ” 

“I’m sorry!” Moze interjected. “It’ll only be a couple of days, and then I’ll be back to -” The soldier desperately tried searching for words to diffuse the situation, watching as the siren slowly began to curl up against the back wall of the room.

“I’ve been good!” She replied, tears beginning to stream down her face. “I’ve been good! I’ve been helping, I – ”

“It’ll only be for a couple days! It won’t be too bad!”

“Two days in solitary isn’t too bad?!” The taller woman sobbed.

Moze sighed, now trying to repress the frustration that had begun to brew within her. “A couple days alone is nothing compared to what you’ve done! You still have to pay and –”

“My family is dead!” Tyreen sobbed. “I am paying! And now you’re going to tell me that you’re leaving me now too? You’re all I have left, and you’re just gonna leave!” 

The vault hunter paused, trying to absorb what the siren had just said. Clearly, she was trying to manipulate her emotions, there was no way that Tyreen actually cared about her in any way, she was merely trying to avoid her punishment. Or maybe this thought was just an excuse, an excuse for the fact that she couldn't find a way to cope with being torn between her love of being a vault hunter and her desire to spend time with this siren. 

“You realize I’ll have to go at some point anyways, right?” Moze asked. “I’m a vault hunter, I’m not going to throw my life away, because of your decisions. You made your choice.” Moze felt vindictive, but her words rung true. Even if Tyreen had somehow managed to rehabilitate herself, she would still have to deal with some form of punishment. The entire galaxy wanted this woman dead, and while they wouldn't get their corpse, they would get their justice. 

“Let’s run away!” Tyreen burst desperately. “When we get to Eden-6 we run! You and me! I’ll – I’ll be a vault hunter with you! I’ll do whatever you ask! I promise – I –”

“Tyreen.” Moze interrupted sternly. “There’s still a couple days till we get to Eden-6. Enjoy your time here on Sanctuary, because once we get to Eden-6 things are gonna change big time.” Her words were partially told to the siren, but also to herself. Once Tyreen was locked up, and once she was out vault hunting with her friends again, she knew she’d come back to her senses. No crush was worth giving up a life of adventure for, especially not this one. “You go down with Moxxi and Ellie, I need to start planning for my trip with Zane and Amara. I’ll see you later.” And with that, the soldier left Tyreen alone in the room, nothing to accompany her but her misery and her thoughts. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tyreen entered the cargo bay trembling, unable to escape the prison that was her own head. She had found herself incapable of getting her mind off the crippling realization that the soldier might just actually abandon her in a cell for the remainder of her life. A sob quietly escaped the woman’s lips, but they were quickly halted from proceeding any further by the gentle interruption of Sanctuary’s local barkeep. 

“You alright, sugar?” Moxxi questioned softly.

With Moze seemingly having changed her mind, Tyreen had nowhere else to turn, and she knew she couldn’t hold these emotions in. If she truly was going to spend the rest of her life alone then she knew she’d want to make as much human contact as possible, even if it was with the very people imprisoning her to begin with. “Moze is abandoning me.” She replied in a voice that was almost a whisper.

“Abandoning you?” The barkeep chuckled. “Tyreen, hon. She’s been the only person in your corner since you got here.”

“Not anymore! She said she’d stay with me on Eden-6! She-”

“Tyreen, what do you want exactly?” Moxxi asked calmly.

“What do I want?” The taller woman asked quizzically. “I want to not spend my life alone in a cell. I want – I want – ” She stopped herself from continuing any further. She wouldn’t admit to wanting the same person who was now making her so miserable to begin with.

“Alright, sugar. So, let’s say you didn’t have to go to Eden-6. What would you do exactly? Where would you go?”

The siren paused, she had nowhere else to go. Even with the entire galaxy at her fingertips, she realized that the only place she genuinely wanted to be was alongside the soldier. Completely at a loss for words, all Tyreen could do was shake her head. 

Moxxi looked upon the miserable siren and made a decision that she decided was either one of her best or one of her most foolish. “I’m givin’ you a promotion, hon.”

Tyreen tilted her head, nonverbally questioning as to what exactly the barkeep was talking about. 

“Well, you’ve done a fine job down here helpin’ out Ellie, I figure that you could help me up at the bar now.”

“What? Why?” The siren asked. “I’m only here for a couple more days before Moze gets rid of me. What’s the fucking point?”

“Call it an experiment.” Moxxi replied with a chuckle. “You in?”

Tyreen laughed half-heartedly. “What exactly would I do in your bar? Wash dishes? Serve drinks? If you haven’t noticed I think I’m a bit too big now to- ”

“And that’s exactly why I think workin’ in the bar would be good for you.” Moxxi replied proudly. 

“Because I’d look like a fucking idiot, and embarrass myself in front of all of those losers?”

“No, it’d be perfect because you’re still gettin’ used to your new body, and for the first time in your life you’re gonna have to care for others besides yourself.”

“And serving booze and washing cups benefits me how?” The siren asked dryly. 

“Quit the attitude, sugar. Definitely won’t help you up in the bar, especially when you’re servin’ to vault hunters. It’s gonna take patience for you to learn how to handle all the dishes and drinks without breaking anything, and I know almost everyone would argue that a retail job is punishment enough unto itself. Consider this the next step on your quest to self-improvement.” 

Tyreen hesitated. “Do you honestly think people will still come to your bar with me working there?” 

“No clue, Ty. All I know is that my bar is the only place for drinks and entertainment on the ship, and that you’ll be safe with me.”

This response drew another laugh from the siren. “You’ll keep ME safe?” 

Moxxi casually glanced upon the siren with a look that made her feel like she knew something that she didn’t. “Keep you safe from yourself, hon. You may be physically strong, but I’ve seen the way you handle stress, and you’re gonna need all the help you can get.”

“So what? I work in your bar for a couple of days, learn a few valuable life lessons along the way, and then spend the rest of my life withering away in a cell?”

“I’ve got a lot of sway on this ship, and nothing in life is guaranteed. Who knows what’ll happen? Either way, don’t you want to at least live a little for a couple days? Get out of this cargo bay and this cell?”

The siren paused. She had nothing to lose and working in the bar would be a better distraction than lifting heavy objects all day. “Okay, Moxxi. I’m in.” She replied with a sad smile.

“Just what I like to hear.” The barkeep gushed. “But we’re gonna need to get you into some proper Moxxi approved attire. I saw what happened the last time I let you choose your own outfit. Now c’mon, I have something special in mind that I think you’ll like.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Moxxi and Tyreen entered the bar, causing every single patron to gawk in a combination of fury and awe. The colossal siren was now wearing a black bustier emblazoned with the bar’s logo, a sleeveless blazer, black skinny jeans, and the makeshift choker that she had grown very attached too.

“Alright, listen up!” Moxxi yelled, with an authority that had shocked even Tyreen. “This is Tyreen, as you all know, and she’s working for me now! If you have a problem you take it up with me, if you want a drink you take it up with her! We’re the Crimson Raiders, and I expect you to act like it, is that clear?” 

The crowd, still in shock of trying to determine what they were seeing, quietly murmured in acknowledgment of their orders, and proceeded to slowly go about their own conversations. 

“So, that’s it? Everyone here is gonna be cool with me now? Really?” The siren asked skeptically. 

“Oh, of course not. You step one foot outside of this bar, and I’m sure everyone will be tryin’ to kill you in the nastiest ways possible, but nobody’d dare try anything in here with me.”

“Great, thanks.” 

“What’d I say about the attitude? Now come on! Your training officially begins now. We’ll start off with dishes.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A few hours had passed, but the siren was beginning to get the hang of cleaning beer mugs that were now almost three times smaller than she was used too. It was a tedious process, and she could still overhear the disdainful chatter of bar patrons over her newfound job, but it was enough work to distract her from the dread of days to come. The truth of the matter was that Tyreen had never actually washed a single dish in her life or done any real chores for that matter. Growing up, she could easily coerce Troy into doing whatever she wanted, which included all of the homestead chores, and when the twins left Nekrotafeyo she soon had gained an entire legion of bandits to cater to her every beck and call. Washing these dishes, however, didn’t feel like work. Maybe it was because of the massive boredom that came with being a prisoner or maybe it was the weird feeling of satisfaction she had gained every time she had watched the dirtiest of beer mugs begin to sparkle, but somehow the siren had actually begun to enjoy herself. 

Her first few attempts at cleaning a mug was messy, squeeze too tightly and the entire mug would crack like an egg, too lightly and it would go careening to the floor, but she eventually found the perfect middle ground and had soon mastered the art of washing of a cup. Being almost fifteen feet tall made her job difficult, but what was especially more challenging was the art of learning to adapt to life with one arm. The phantom pains sometimes made her life in her cell unbearable, just another reminder of all that she had lost due to her misguided quest, but another bonus of this job was that it was hard to dwell on the feeling when surrounded by the life of the bar. It wasn’t perfect, and she knew that this would all come to an end once she was down on Eden-6, but she’d try to enjoy this while it lasted. The only thing that she wished for now was the company of Moze.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“What’s on yer mind, Moze?” The operative questioned concerningly. “Ye haven’t said a word since ye got here!”

“Zane is right.” Amara replied. “We’ve specifically brought up several opportunities for you to elect to blow something up, and you haven’t said a word.”

“I’m sorry, guys.” The gunner replied guiltily. “It’s just-”

“Please don’t say Tyreen.” Amara interjected. “She is no good for you, and you’ve done all you could! You can’t spend your life babysitting a criminal!”

“There’s just gotta be another way to do this. It’s wrong to leave her on Eden-6 to rot, and I need to apologize to her. I’ve just been so stressed out, and I’m sorry you guys have to deal with this, and-”

“Dapper Hodunk!” Zane burst with a loud cheer. 

“I, uh, bless you?” Moze replied.

“No no no! Dapper Hodunk was a criminal bank on Pandora! Caused a real mess for the Raiders back in the day!”

“Ah, I remember him! Was he not the man who was sentenced to 137 lifetimes in prison?” Amara added.

“Aye it was!” Zane replied enthusiastically. 

Moze’s eyes darted back and forth between the two vault hunters. “I don’t understand what this dapper dude has to do with anything.” 

The operative released a hearty chuckle. “You see, Dapper Hodunk was the worst of the worst. Well, not as bad as your girlfriend –”

“She’s not my girlfriend!” 

“Sure sure. Anyways, he was a bad one. Until one day, he escaped prison and saved the life of a little girl being chased by another gang of bandits.”

“And this helps Tyreen how?”

“Dapper’s prison time was reduced from 137 life sentences to 136 after he was recaptured.” The operative replied matter-of-factly.

“Real helpful, thanks.” Moze replied somberly. “Maybe with good behavior I can get Tyreen down to 1,000 life sentences.”

“Just tryin’ to help, Mozie!” Zane sighed exasperatedly. “What else can you do? Put her on house arrest? We live in a bloody – Oh, no. I see what you’re thinkin’, it’s not-”

Before either Zane or Amara could utter a single word, Moze was out the door. It wouldn’t be easy but being trapped aboard a spaceship was still a punishment. Tyreen could serve out her sentence on Sanctuary. It wouldn’t be easy to convince, well, anyone, but she had to try, but first she had to inform Tyreen of her idea. 

But first, she had to find her. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After another déjà vu of losing track of the war criminal under her custody, Moze had discovered found herself making her way to Moxxi’s. And it was here in Moxxi’s that she had stumbled upon a sight that put her at a loss for words. Tyreen was sitting behind the bar, washing dishes in an outfit that had instantly turned her face a cherry red. Moxxi certainly knew how to ensure that her employees were almost as alluring as she was, that was for sure. 

“Tyreen!” Moze burst enthusiastically. “I have good news! I have a plan!”

The siren carefully placed a dish in the sink and turned. “What? A plan to airlock me before we get to Eden-6?” She asked wearily.

“No! Stop, I’m sorry, but I – Listen. How would you like to stay here on the ship with me? I mean, for your sentence. You wouldn’t be able to leave the ship, but – ”

“Yes!” Tyreen interjected, quickly attempting to repress her excitement. “I, yeah, I’d – I’d like that.”

The duo’s discussion was quickly interrupted by the sultry laughter of the barkeep. “Took you long enough to figure somethin’ out.” 

“I was a Vladof grunt, give me a break!” 

Moxxi chuckled. “All teasing aside, how exactly do you plan on getting your friend here transferred from the biggest supermax in the galaxy to our little home?” 

The vault hunter sighed and looked at Tyreen. “I don’t know how. Whatever we come up with won’t be easy, and it might not even work, but we have to try. I’m going to try, I promise.”

“I love the enthusiasm, but you better come up with a plan quick, sugar.” Moxxi replied. “Because we arrive to Eden-6 in a couple days.”

For the first time in a long time Moze had felt like she had a chance. It wouldn't be easy, nothing in life truly worth having ever was, but she finally had a chance. She finally had hope.


	5. The Plea of a Sirentist

The plan was simple, well, as simple as one could possibly be in a multiverse as arbitrary and cruel as this one anyways. There obviously had to be some sort of council or tribunal in charge of major decisions regarding Sanctuary’s fate, and like all councils it was run by people. People, who Moxxi believed were inherently good, and could therefore be persuaded to have at least a modicum of sympathy for their siren prisoner, allowing her to remain on the ship for the entirety of her punishment, as opposed to spending it in solitary on a secluded jungle moon. 

Moze, however, was not as optimistic. Her realism began to outweigh the hope that had grown within her just moments earlier. House arrest was still a punishment, especially on a spaceship where one could never even take a breath of air that hadn’t been recycled millions of times over, but it still might not be enough. The residents of Sanctuary had been some of the first victims of the Calypso’s crusade, and it wasn’t realistic in any capacity for anyone to have sympathy for the siren who had forced them onto this ship in the first place. 

For what it was worth, Tyreen had already given up all hope. Everything that had taken place, and everything that would soon transpire would inevitably lead to her permanent imprisonment in solitary, and this case would ultimately be a waste of time. Therefore, the only thoughts that would wander through her head at this time were “Damn, I look fucking great in this outfit! That clown lady might just be on to something after all.” And “I wonder if the council tastes like chicken tenders. I’d really like to find out, but then Moze would be angry.”

The soldier and the barkeep had decided that the best course of action was to get someone else to make the case. Unfortunately for them, the only person on the ship smart enough to do such a thing happened to have the personability of a very affectionate cactus. 

“Your dilemma is quite fascinating!” Burst the voice of the siren scientist. “But I’m afraid I’ll be of little use to you!” 

“Tannis, please!” Moze replied desperately. “You’re the only one on this ship who’s smart enough to – I don’t know. Logically convince everyone that Tyreen doesn’t deserve to rot on Eden-6!” 

“Well, your observations are correct, I truly am the smartest one on this ship.” Tannis replied nonchalantly, carefully pacing throughout her lab. “But the truth of the matter is that I don’t think there’s anything that can be done! Tyreen is, well, a parasite.”

“I’m right here, dude.” The taller siren quipped sardonically. 

“I know.” Tannis replied. “Ironic, isn’t it? You who addressed your brother as a parasite is also forced to leech others for sustenance. A bit like the pot calling the kettle black?”

The soldier quickly interjected, desperately trying to ensure that the situation wouldn’t escalate. “What’s your point, Tannis?”

“My point is that nobody would dare try to save a tapeworm, nor any other sort of parasite. It’s lunacy! And she’s caught in the middle of an ethical conundrum that most wouldn’t even consider to be worth the time anyways. Yes, I suppose almost an entire month spent in solitary confinement could be considered – overkill? I believe is the phrase? But her crimes are still uncountable, vault hunter. Perhaps even more time spent in solitary could –”

“I learned my fucking lesson, you little ratch!” Tyreen spat as tears began to swell in her eyes.

The soldier quickly rushed to her side to calm her down. “I think she’s suffered enough, Tannis.” 

“Tell that to the council. Anywho, cruel and unusual punishment aside. People have died because of your actions, Calypso. Even if you truly do seek redemption, there are many who would argue that you’re beyond it. How far exactly can one go before they become truly irredeemable? Your willingness to change is … admirable, but if you’re telling the truth then I’m afraid it’s simply too late. The only reason you’re even here having this conversation today is because the crew of this ship respects Moze more than they hate you, which is a miracle unto itself.”

“Forgive me for interruptin,’ hon.” Moxxi interjected. “But I believe you said something about cruel and unusual punishment?”

“Why yes, I did.” The scientist responded. “But if you’re going to suggest using cruel and unusual punishment as the basis for your case, I’m afraid nothing will come of it. We’re on a ship full of vault hunters in the borderlands of the galaxy, not a courtroom on Promethea. Besides, I’m sure many would argue that the punishment would suit the crime. Attempting to absorb the powers of an ancient god in order to rule the known multiverse constitutes as a cruel and unusual crime, after all. I’m sure a life spent alone in a cell is much more than she deserves.”

“So what? That’s it?” Moze asked hopelessly. “We just accept this loss and move on? That’s bullshit!”

The scientist sighed and took a seat atop the counter situated at the center of her lab. “I suppose there’s always a probability that once everyone has moved on to the next heated topic of debate it could easier to persuade the council? Perhaps a dashing act of heroism could change some minds as well? Though I can’t imagine how she could do anything noble aboard this ship that could possibly be selfless enough to offset all the untold horrors that she has caused. In any case, the best piece of advice I can give you is to wait.” 

The gunner rubbed her temples and turned to leave the room. “Thanks anyways, dude.”

“Wait! Tannis quickly interjected. “Do you mind if we speak alone, vault hunter?” 

“Uh, sure? What’s up?” Moze replied apprehensively, waving goodbye to the barkeep and the prisoner as they exited the lab, presumably returning back to Moxxi’s bar. 

“Ok, now that she’s gone. Why Tyreen?” Tannis asked inquisitively. 

“What do you mean? I –”

“Oh, don’t patronize me, vault hunter. I may not – Well, none of my PhD’s were in human/siren relationships, but I do know that your hormones around that woman are always - well, they're noticeable! Really, you –”

“Oh, my god! You’re worse than Fl4k! Nothing about her pheromones or hormones or whatever are –”

“Ah, ah, ah! Pheromones and hormones are two completely different things, and fine. I’ll try to explain this in terms that are as monosyllabic as possible. You like Tyreen.”

“What?! No, dude! I don’t! I just -” 

“Actually, you do. Sexual dimorphism is fairly common amongst many species of fauna across the galaxies, perhaps now that –”

“Ok, fine! Maybe I like her a little! Maybe I think that she’s beautiful, and she’s funny, and in another life maybe we’d actually be able to be friends!... Or more than friends.” The soldier sighed wearily. “But in this life, she’s done far too much, and this will never work out! I was stupid and -”

“If you like sirens so much then why have you never considered that Amara woman to be a potential suitor? Perhaps you two will have time to bond and then consequentially grind together once Tyreen is secure in her new cell.”

“I don’t think Amara would ever- Wait! Grinding? What do you think that means exactly?” Moze asked quizzically. 

“Grinding! I hear you vault hunters using strange terminology all the time, I simply cannot keep up with it all! I always thought that grinding was some sort of euphemism for coitus!”

“No, dude!” Moze laughed. “Grinding is like, frequenting a hunting spot in hopes of getting better loot the next time around.”

“Then you do realize that your ‘grinding’ destroys the ecosystem of every single planet you –”

“OK!” Moze, interjected. “I, uh, I appreciate the biology lesson, thanks. But look, I just – Amara would never want to go out with me anyways, we have nothing in common! She’s all zen, and elegant, and –”

“So, what? You think you have more in common with that Calypso girl instead?” Tannis replied somewhat testily. 

The gunner furrowed her eyebrows, desperately trying to keep her composure. “Why is my love life suddenly of a concern to you, Tannis?”

The siren sighed, hopping off the countertop. She had wanted to try to put the soldier at ease. She planned to carefully place a hand atop the vault hunter’s shoulder, but that would involve exposing her hand to the legions of bacteria potentially inhabiting it. So instead she simply crossed her arms and did something unimaginable. She expressed her true feelings. “You have been – You are one of the best laboratory assistants I have had in a long time, and you’re a good person.” Tannis paused, using all of her strength to make eye contact with the soldier. “Tyreen Calypso is not a good person. I don’t mind the siren on the ship, I’m sure she’d actually be a big help at times, no pun intended. But you deserve better than her, and I am certain that you and Amara would be much better together. I say this as someone who has more PhD’s than everyone else aboard this ship combined, and I say this as your friend. I cannot realistically see any future between you and Tyreen that doesn’t end in tragedy.” 

“I, uh, I can’t change how I feel, Tannis. But if somehow Amara and I? - If we click, I won’t fight it. But you’re right, I deserve better than Tyreen. At the end of the day, she’s just too far gone.”

“Oh, excellent! Please, all I ask is that you keep your options open, there are bigger and less homicidal fish in the sea, after all! Now come, come. I have a few projects I’d like to ask you to carry out for me while on your trip to Eden-6!”

Outside the lab, they had a visitor. Upon leaving for the bar, Moxxi had dropped her ECHOpad, and Tyreen had volunteered to retrieve it. Unfortunately for the siren, while she had found the ECHOpad, she had also managed to overhear the conclusion of the conversation going on inside the lab, and her heart broke a little more.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Later that “night” Moze returned to the cell, exhausted and defeated. Is this really what it would come down too? An entire month of her life fighting against her newly found family, dealing with the politics of the ship, fighting her own conflicting emotions, and for what? To literally lock away all that she had worked so hard for in a cell for all eternity? It was humiliating, and it was exhausting. Upon opening the door to her room, no, the cell, she had noticed that Tyreen was crying. Unable to deal with her own feelings, she knew she would be unable to help the siren cope with hers, and so she decided that the best course of action would be to drown out these emotions with alcohol, lots of alcohol. 

The bar was relatively empty for the most part, “tonight.” The only visitors being a couple of engineers sitting at a table, and one very muscular woman sitting at the bar. It was Amara. This had to be Tannis’s doing, or maybe it wasn’t, maybe this really was a sign from God, or the gods, or the universe, or whatever asshole was in charge of this cosmic shithole. Whatever the reason, she remembered her promise to Tannis about keeping her options open, and pulled up a seat for herself next to her friend. 

“Moserah!” The siren burst, embracing her friend. “What brings you down here so late? I take it that your plan did not go as anticipated?” She frowned. 

“No, it didn’t.” Moze replied wearily. “Say, what are you doing down here anyways? I don’t exactly strike you as one to spend her nights alone in a bar.”

“This ship has very thin walls.” Amara chuckled. “And our rooms happen to be next to each other, remember? That Tyreen girl has been crying for awhile now, and –” The siren paused, taking a swig of her drink. “I can’t sleep.” 

The soldier quickly facepalmed. “I’m so sorry, dude! All this time and I -”

“It is perfectly fine!” Amara interjected. “Truth be told it’s nice to get out once in a while, and you’re fighting for a cause you believe in! It’s all we can possibly hope to do in this life. I am curious, however, truly. Why do you fight for this woman’s life after everything she has put us through, put you through?” 

Moze gestured for a drink and sighed. “I don’t know anymore, Amara. I really don’t.” 

The siren smiled, gently placing her hand on Moze’s shoulder, staring deeply into her eyes. “Well, whatever your true reason is. She is lucky to have you fighting for her. Any woman would be so lucky. Now come! We drink to your fortune!” 

“Yeah.” Moze smiled sadly. “I think I’d like that.” 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After a night reminiscing, the two women finally proceeded to head back to their respective rooms, therefore leaving Moze to deal with the fact that she would once again have to deal with Tyreen. 

“Are you sure you wouldn’t like to stay in my room tonight?” Amara chuckled. “We could have a girl’s night! You and me! I found this artifact down on Pandora I think you’d love to see!” 

“I appreciate the offer.” Moze smiled. “But it’s only a couple days until she’s out of my hair, and then – then we can do this again?”

Amara smiled, playing with her hair. “I’m looking forward to it. I’ll see you tomorrow.” And with that she walked into her room, and slowly closed the door waving goodbye as she did so. 

Upon reentering her own room, Moze had found that Tyreen had calmed down and was now asleep on the floor. She carefully sat back against the wall, but the clanking of her helmet against the steel was enough to wake the siren.

“Moze?” Tyreen asked, sleepily. “Is that you?” 

“Yeah, it’s me. Go back to sleep, Tyreen.” The gunner replied closing her eyes. A few moments later she felt the head of the siren gently plopping itself onto her lap. 

“Moze?” She asked hesitantly. 

“Yeah, Tyreen?” 

“Do you think I’m a bad person?” She replied. Slowly nuzzling herself against the soldier.

Moze opened her eyes, in disbelief of what was taking place. Was Tyreen drying to draw sympathy towards herself? One last act of desperation? Or was she simply trying to comfort herself? “You, um, you’re definitely making progress.”

“That’s not a yes or a no.”

The soldier felt the warmth of the siren's teardrops beginning to form on her torso. “You’ve been through a lot, and uh – Maybe one day you won’t be anymore.”

“I’m trying.” Tyreen sobbed. “I’m fucking trying, why can’t everyone see that?”

The soldier sighed, gently proceeding to run her fingers through the siren’s hair in an attempt to calm her. “You know why, Tyreen.”

Why did life have to be so damned complicated? 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	6. The Anvil

Mornings had been rough ever since Tyreen had boarded the ship, but Moze was fairly confident that this one was going to be a lot tougher than usual.

“Open up, Moze!” Spat the voice of a blue haired siren. “It’s check-out time for you and your girlfriend!” 

The soldier and the siren, both still groggy from being woken up so abruptly, turned to each other sharing a look of both confusion and fear.

“I thought we still had a couple days?” Tyreen asked.

Moze shrugged and took a deep sigh. “We’ll be right out. Take it easy, Ava.” 

The taller siren frowned. “I guess this is really it. You can finally get rid of me for good.”

“I promised I’d visit you, you won’t be alone down there forever. Who knows, maybe you’ll even get time off for good behavior.” The soldier smiled sadly, gently bumping the shoulder of the prisoner. 

Moze slowly walked towards the door but was quickly grabbed by the former cult leader.

“Wait! Moze!” Tyreen burst desperately. 

“Tyreen we don’t have time for thi -” But before she could finish her sentence she was quickly drawn into a very awkward embrace with the prisoner. 

“Thank you for saving my life.” Tyreen carefully brushed her hair out of her face. “And, um, I’m sorry I tried to kill you and all of your friends.” She replied nonchalantly. 

The soldier let out a chuckle. “God, do you have any idea how fucked up that is, dude?” She expected to catch the prisoner laughing, or even revealing that she was joking, but there was no trace of condescension in her voice. “I don’t – I don’t think I’ll ever really be able to forgive you, man. But – If you keep making progress, maybe one day we can be friends.”

The siren released her embrace and smiled sadly. “I’d really like that, Moze.”

And with that, the two women left the cell. Unprepared for what would soon come to pass. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Eden-6 was about as hospitable as a Promethean businessman at a charity. The anvil stood as an enormous beacon of despair amongst the treetops. A remarkable feat of engineering, built for the sole purpose of containing and breaking all those who entered, and it was now Tyreen’s new home. 

Brick, Mordecai, Tina, Zane, Hammerlock, Amara, Wainwright, and a small group of Jakobs soldiers had all gathered near the front entrance of the prison to ensure that the prisoner would not escape, and to celebrate the fact that they were all finally tying up the final loose end of to this part of their story. Well, it would have been a celebration, were it not for the gloom of the soldier who had actually apprehended Tyreen to begin with. 

This outing would also mark the first time that Tyreen had seen the sun, or even managed to walk around properly in over a month. Although, she never would have guessed that she’d had to do it chained up, and with a makeshift Lecter mask. Ava had insisted that the prisoner couldn’t leave the confines of the ship until she was absolutely certain that she would be unable to escape, despite knowing full-well that Tyreen had no actual energy or desire to do so in the first place. If nothing else, it was just another reminder of how powerless the Calypso had become.

“Congratulations on securing this she-devil.” Wainwright remarked, gently placing a hand atop Moze’s shoulder. “The galaxy will finally rest easy knowing that the Calypso’s reign of terror has come to an end.” 

The soldier clenched her fists as she responded in a tone that was much angrier than she had intended. “Please don’t call her that.” 

Upon hearing the evident distress in Moze’s voice, Wainwright’s husband, Hammerlock, quickly interjected. 

“Your capacity for kindness is unparalleled, vault hunter!” Sir Hammerlock burst. “You not only gave me a chance to try to save my sister’s soul all those months ago, but you’ve even managed to spare the life of THE Tyreen Calypso. Well done!” He finished, glaring at his husband.

The soldier sighed. She really didn’t want to deal with any of this right now. She had expected to simply escort Tyreen to her cell, and then have some time alone with her thoughts before leaving on her hunting trip with Amara and Zane, instead she stood before a small audience of people waiting and watching her with anticipation. “Can we just get this over with, guys?” She asked exasperatedly.

“Yes, yes, of course." Wainwright struggled. "Come now, the she-devi- er, Tyreen's cell is this way.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tyreen’s cell was everything she feared it would be. It was a cage. The room was small, small enough that she would never even be able to stand up again for the remainder of her life, and she would never have privacy ever again. The bars of the cell were the only thing separating her from freedom, but that would involve having to fight her now permanent Jakobs guards sparsely spread throughout the prison, and the destruction of any potential relationship with the soldier, platonic or otherwise. 

“Well, here we are.” Hammerlock commented, gesturing to the cell. “Step into your cell or you will be forced to do so.” 

The look of sheer terror in Tyreen’s eyes was unmistakable as she turned towards the soldier before entering the cell. The siren’s entire life had always been an act. She was the god-queen, all powerful, a force of nature, but that façade was over with. She no longer had the emotional fortitude for pride any longer, and so, she sobbed. 

“I, uh, I know this is a win, but it sure doesn’t feel like it.” Brick remarked matter-of-factly. 

“A win for us, yes.” Wainwright replied triumphantly. “But not for her. She will be spending the remainder of her life in this cell alone and forced to live with nothing but the guilt of her past transgressions. This is justice, ladies and gentlemen, now come. Let’s celebrate.” 

The majority of the group proceeded to wander to the warden’s quarters, now occupied by a small staff of Jakobs soldiers, leaving Tyreen, Tina, and Moze all by themselves. 

“Hey, boo.” Tina remarked, quickly embracing the soldier. 

“Hey, Tina. Thanks for doing all of this for – for me.” She replied, quickly turning to watch her crush now sobbing violently inside the prison cell. “It’s – I really wish it didn’t have to come to this, but – I mean – I – at least she’s still alive, y’know?” 

The blonde sighed. “Yeah. Hey, girlie, listen. I’ve gotta get back to Pandora. Poor little Enrique is all by his wittle self, but that Ava chick wasted up all the juice on Sanctuary to get here quicker.”

“I – uh –”

Tina groaned in frustration, clearly noticing that Moze wasn’t understanding what she was trying to say. 

“Soooooo, Sanctuary’s gotta refuel back up, which is gonna take a couple days. Meaning I can take care of Ms. Gams here while you go out on your trip!”

“Oh, Tina.” Moze replied. “You don’t have to do that, after everything you’ve already done I – ”

“No, really! It’s okay, girl! Ava’s been kinda scary lately, I feel lots better here.” Tina laughed. “That’s crazy right? I feel safer with Tyreen than Ava? Is that weird? That sounds weird. Weeeiiirrrddd. Anyways! I got’chu, boo! Now go on! You go on your lil vacation, and we’ll be here when you’re done!”

“Tina – I – Get down!” Moze shouted, tackling Tina to the ground. The two women watched from the ground as multiple rockets roared overhead.

“Shit!” Moze burst. “COV must know Tyreen is here! What the hell?!”

“I don’t think so!” Tina replied in what was almost a yell, desperately trying to speak over the sound of gunfire now permeating the area. “No way anyone! And I mean anyone! Coulda learned about our super-secret mission to -”

“Free the god-queen! She lives!” Burst the voice of a bandit from somewhere outside the walls of the prison.

“Fuck.” Tina continued. “We gotta warn everyone!”

The ground began to rumble as multiple rockets struck the building’s walls as bandits desperately tried to force their way into the prison. Overhead lights swayed overhead as particles of rubble and dust began to pour down over the soldier and the demolitions expert. 

“Tyreen!” Moze burst. “I swear if you had anything to do with this, I’ll -”

The siren, who had now calmed herself began to grow furious. “I could’ve killed all of you if I wanted a long time ago! Why would I willingly let you fucking torture me for over a month if all I wanted was to escape!” Tyreen spat as she violently banged her fist against the back of her cell. “I’ve been a fucking saint this past week, and you’re still -”

“One week doesn’t make up for years of pain and -”

“Why can’t anyone just fucking believe that I’m over this! I don’t care about being a fucking god-queen! I don’t care about power! I don’t care about the vaults! All I care about is -” Her speech was interrupted by the sound of the entire back wall of her cell collapsing under the barrage of explosives. A hole just large enough to crawl through had formed in the siren’s cell leaving all three women in shock, all trying to determine what to do next. 

“God-queen!” Burst the voice of a bandit entering the cell through the detritus of what had once been a wall. “It is truly a miracle that you live!” 

Moze drew her weapon, preparing to fire at the intruder, but she was too slow. Numerous bandits, all desperate to discover if Tyreen was truly alive had begun to funnel into the cell. 

“Goddess!” Shouted the voice of the first bandit. “We shall exterminate this filth in your honor!” The half a dozen bandits who had already entered the cell fired on the gunner. 

Moze knew her life as a vault hunter was dangerous, and she knew her time would come eventually. She just never thought it would come like this, or at least that’s what she would’ve thought had she actually died at this moment. But to her surprise she realized that a shield had formed between her and the hail of bullets that surely would have taken her life. It was Tyreen Calypso.

“Fools!” Burst the voice of the de facto bandit leader. “Cease fire! Cease fire! Do you realize what you’ve done?! You –” His voice was abruptly cut off by a scream as the bandits had all turned to fire on each other, each blaming the events that had transpired on one another. 

Moze roared, firing at the cell’s lock and therefore forcing her way into the cell. Few bandits had remained, and the gunner found her opportunity to secure the room. Her emotions told her to check on Tyreen, to make sure she was ok, but she had to think tactically if she was to survive this assault. Peering out the rupture that had been created, Moze had found the other vault hunters outside finishing off the remaining bandits. One vault hunter was dangerous, two teams of vault hunters was practically an army. 

Tina rushed into the cell, taking Moze’s weapon from her hand and covering the entrance. “Check your girl, Mozie. I’ve got us covered.”

Moze nodded in agreement and turned to check on the siren. Her torso was riddled with bullet holes. Unfortunately, neither size nor siren abilities could fully protect the taller woman from gunfire. Blood dripped from the siren’s smiling mouth, as she slowly tried to speak. “Just for you, superfan.” Tyreen chuckled.

The gunner desperately searched her inventory for a health pack, but her search yielded no result. Losing friends was just a fact of life for Moze. Sacrifices weren’t uncommon in Vladof, and the gunner had mastered the art of keeping her cool to assist her comrades in arms as much as possible, and to ensure that if they were to die that their last vision of life wouldn’t be her panicked face. But Tyreen wasn’t a member of her squad, nor was she a fellow vault hunter, she wasn’t even really a friend and this point. So, despite her best efforts, the gunner was unable to hide the shock in her voice. “Why would you do that?” Moze, asked quizzically. 

The siren closed her eyes, desperately searching for the right words. It would be so easy to just tell the truth. To tell Moze that she wanted to be a better person for her, that she wanted to prove she was worthy of a second chance, that for once in her life she just wanted to do something she knew her father, no, her mother would be proud of. Moze had been the first person to see the siren for who she really was, not the god-queen, but the woman who came before, the one who just wanted a life of adventure and fame. Unfortunately, Tina was in the room, and pride overtook her thoughts. If she was to die, then she would not let this stranger see her vulnerable, and so she simply shook her head. 

Tyreen needed medical attention soon, or she was going to die. Unfortunately, the nearest medics were all still aboard Sanctuary which was quite a distance away from the Anvil. There was no possible way to keep the siren alive long enough to get back to the ship. Moze froze, refusing to accept defeat. She would not fail now, not after all of this time trying to keep Tyreen alive. And then it hit her. 

“Tyreen!” The soldier burst. “Leech me!”

Tyreen and Tina both turned to the gunner, shock clearly apparent on their faces.

“What?!” Tina interjected. “Are you crazy?! Homegirl kills people when she does that. You wanna die?”

“Tyreen doesn’t always kill when she leeches things.” Moze explained desperately. “Lilith lived after Tyreen took her powers, I know she can leech me just long enough to keep herself alive.”

The siren frowned. “Moze, I -”

“That’s an order, Tyreen.” The gunner replied almost reflexively, years of Vladof training resurfacing in this situation of life or death. Moze quickly turned to Tina, ordering her to warn Sanctuary to expect them before turning back to the siren. “I’m ready, as soon as you’re strong enough to stand we move out back to Tannis’s onboard the Sanctuary.”

Tina immediately proceeded to head towards the ship, leaving both the soldier and the siren alone to themselves. “I’m going to go slow, ok?” The siren asked gently. 

The vault hunter nodded, bracing herself as the taller woman gently grabbed her arm. Purple sparks ran down the siren’s arm, slowly making their way down towards to her hand, and then finally piercing into the soldier’s own arm. Moze released a small yelp, but ultimately tried to remain strong. 

“Are you alright?” Moze winced, clenching her teeth. “Feeling any better?”

The siren nodded, releasing a malevolent chuckle. “You taste even better than I thought you would.” 

“You’re not helping!” 

Tyreen instantly suppressed her smile. “Sorry, sorry. Force of habit . . . But, really. Moze, you’re fucking delici –”

“Can you fucking stand yet?” The soldier interjected. While she didn’t show it, she could feel the life essence draining from her body. If the siren truly wanted too there would be no way of stopping her, it would be a slow death, and ultimately her own fault. 

Tyreen nodded, slowly drawing herself up onto her own two feet. As the siren stood. she had to slide her grip towards Moze’s hand. Being as tall as a god-queen was fantastic, but it made hand holding very awkward, and for the first time in a long time, Tyreen realized that this sort of physical contact was something she needed. “Are – are you ok?” 

Moze grimaced and shook her head. It took every fiber of her being not to collapse, but she had to keep going. “Let’s get moving, it’s a long way back home.”

The two women slowly began their trek back to the ship. The bandit attack was crushed as quickly as it began, which meant that the only thing with the potential to halt their trek was their own physical fortitude. 

“Why are you doing all of this for me?” The siren asked wearily. “I’m not exactly a paragon of humanity, and I know all of your friends want me dead.” 

Moze, desperately trying to keep herself from collapsing, forced out a chuckle. “Paragon of humanity? Not the kind of language I’m used to you using on those ECHOnet streams you constantly forced all of us to deal with.” 

Tyreen smiled. “Dad was literally the first vault hunter, mom was a xenolinguist. I’m more than just the act I put out to the world.” 

“Really?” The gunner asked teasingly. “You’re saying you have more to offer than just memes and sass?”

“I would make a great fucking vault hunter, Moze.” The siren smiled. 

The soldier smiled but was suddenly overcome by a wave of dizziness and collapsed to the ground. Tyreen, now without a lifeforce to leech from to keep her wounds from overtaking her collapsed moments later. The last thing she saw was a small figure approaching them from a distance. Maybe she had begun to hallucinate after the loss of blood, but she could’ve sworn that the figure had blue hair. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Moze awoke to the familiar fluorescent lighting of Tannis’s laboratory. 

“Oh, good! You’re not dead!” Burst the voice of the laboratory’s owner.

The soldier quickly sat up, darting her eyes throughout the room. “Where’s Tyreen? What happened? Is -”

“Oh, hush now. Your siren friend is quite alright. Well, as alright as one can be after taking a firing squad to the chest!” Tannis replied. “She’s back in your room. I’ve had to give up some of my finest specimens for her to leech, but as a result she’s still alive. Your welcome!” 

Moze rubbed her temples. There wasn’t a single inch of her body that wasn’t in pain, it was what she imagined getting hit by a truck would feel like. “How – How did we – ”

“If you’re inquiring as to how you two got back to the ship, well, it was all Ava’s doing.” 

“What?!” The soldier burst. 

“What? Do you think I carried you two back here?” The siren laughed. “Ava phaselocked you two back to the ship. Quite frankly, if it wasn’t for her, you’d both be dead right now.”

“No, I get that, but I mean . . . Why, Tannis?” 

“People are truly unpredictable, aren’t they? It’s exactly why I lock myself inside this lab as much as possible. If you seek answers, then I suppose the best course of action would be to ask her yourself. As for now, you should get some rest. If you can stand then you should head back to your quarters and try to recover. I will be stopping by to take some tests, however, so . . . Be seeing you!”

The soldier slowly stood up, and although she was desperate for answers, she was even more desperate to get some rest and decided that it would be best to head back to her room. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When Moze returned back to her room she had found Tyreen laying back against the wall. 

“You saved me again.” The siren smiled sadly. “Your doctor friend says I would’ve died back in that cell if -”

“You saved me too, y’know.” The soldier interjected. “Why would you do that? You could’ve just let your buddies shoot me and escape. You know I still want you in prison, why would you risk your life knowing you'd still have a life sentence to carry out if you did?” 

The siren slowly turned to gaze into Moze’s eyes. “Maybe this is the only way I know how to apologize to you.”

“No offense, dude, but why do I even matter now anyways? Just a few months ago you were trying to kill me, and now you want to be best friends?” 

Tyreen sighed. “I never wanted to hurt you. I told you to leave, hell, I asked you to join me plenty of times, but you just wouldn’t give up.” She chuckled dryly. “Against all odds, armies of bandits, Maliwan, vault monsters . . . me. You were – are the most fascinating woman I have ever met. I mean, after me of course.”

A blush quickly formed on the gunner’s face, but before she could respond she was interrupted by the sound of a knock on the door.

“Hey, sugar.” Moxxi called. “Mind if me and a couple friends come in?”

“Sure, Moxx.” The soldier replied, freezing in place as she watched the door immediately proceed to fling open.

“Oh, Mozie!” Shouted the voice of a very anxious blonde. “I thought you were a goner fo sho!” Tina remarked, running to embrace Moze in a very tight hug. “I mean, not that I didn’t trust you or anything.” She added, turning to face Tyreen, who merely shrugged in response. 

“I’m ok, Tina. I’m just really worn out.”

“Is that so?” Asked the voice of another siren.

“Amara!” The soldier replied enthusiastically. “I’m sorry, but I think you and Zane are going to end up having to go on that trip on your own. I’m not exactly in the mood anymore, I – Wait, where is Zane anyways?”

“He said something about wanting us to have some time alone or something. You know Zane.” Amara chuckled. “And don’t worry about the trip. If you’re feeling better later, we can go out to the bar tonight instead? Just us? Maybe it’ll help clear your mind off things?” She asked embracing Moze in a hug while simultaneously glaring at Tyreen, unbeknownst to the soldier. 

“I could seriously go for a drink. Yeah, I’ll meet you there later. I kind of just want to rest now.” The gunner replied. 

“I’ll see you later, Moze. Remind you how much fun being around a real siren can be.” Amara winked, nudging her friend’s shoulder. “You were quite heroic, willing to potentially sacrifice yourself like that, maybe we’ll even be able to get a few free drinks out our tales like we used too.”

Tyreen glared at the shorter siren as she walked out. Over the years she had grown accustomed to teasing, she did grow up with Troy after all, but there was just something in what Amara had said that rubbed her the wrong way. And that hug? She had just saved Moze’s life and didn’t get a hug or even a thanks for that matter. Eventually Tyreen’s frustration, and jealousy? No, not jealousy, it had to have been irritation with this other siren that forced her to take action. 

“I know, right?” The former-cult leader burst. “She was so heroic, willing to almost die for me like that. I bet she’s never done anything like that for you, lil’ siren, huh?” She smiled, forcing out the god-queen persona she was now beginning to lose touch with. 

“I uh, I gotta go . . . do a thing. Bye guys!” Tina burst, immediately running out of the room. 

“What are you trying to do here?” Amara enquired sternly. 

“Oh, nothin. Just teasin' a lil' siren sister.” Tyreen replied condescendingly. The two sirens locked eyes which had both practically become daggers. 

“Ok, ok.” Moxxi intervened. “I’m glad to see everyone’s ok, let’s just – Let’s let the girls get some rest, Amara?” The barkeep commented, placing a hand on the siren’s shoulder. 

“Yes.” The shorter siren replied, still glaring at Tyreen. “See you tonight, Moze.” She replied, exiting the door with the barkeep. 

Once Moze was sure that the door was closed, and the visitors were gone she turned to Tyreen. “What the hell was that, dude?!” 

“Did you see the look on her face?!” The siren laughed. “She was so fuckin’ pissed, oh my god.”

“I’m serious, dude. Quit this god-queen bullshit, it’s just you and me now.” The soldier replied, crossing her arms as she did so. 

To admit the real reason as to why she acted the way she did would mean to accept the truth that she was experiencing jealously. “I dunno.” Tyreen lied. “Just didn’t like your friend’s attitude.” 

The soldier proceeded to make her way to the small makeshift bed she used before Tyreen moved in and proceeded to lay down. “Whatever, man. I need to rest.”

The siren scoffed, trying not to further enrage Moze, and sat back down. Being a god-queen meant separating yourself from humanity, it meant acknowledging the fact that you were more than human. Affection, love, human touch, were all subjects beneath a god-queen. But right now, as her true self slowly began to unravel itself, she had come to realize exactly how untrue this was. More than anything, the siren needed a hug.


	7. The Soldier and the Kiss

“Ok, so let me get this straight.” Brick remarked, angrily proceeding to take a drink of his Vercuvian whiskey. “We spent an entire week clearing out that jungle jail just so Tyreen could end up back here on Sanctuary?”

“I’m kinda glad, big guy.” Tina smiled from across the table. “I think Moze’ll be a lot less stressed out with her here on the ship.”

Mordecai reclined in his seat and sighed. “Yeah, sure. Maybe SHE’S a lot less stressed, but I think everyone else’s blood pressure just shot straight up.” 

“Oh, what-evs.” The blonde scoffed. “I think they’re kinda cute together.” 

The brawler chuckled sourly. “Oh, so you think that the life-suckin’ war-criminal who nearly murdered our friend is just adorable, huh? Thought it was cute how Moze would’ve been a damned purple rock if Tyreen really wanted to make her one?” 

“Aha!” Tina burst loudly, turning the heads of all the other patrons in Moxxi’s bar towards the trio's table. “But she didn’t! Homegirl coulda killed her lots of times by now, but they’re both still here so ha! Besides, I think the whole leechin’ thing is romantic. Girl’s kinda like a big, sexy vampire.” 

“I need a drink.” Mordecai replied wearily, gesturing to Moxxi. “I just don’t get it. Do you really think Moze … likes her?” 

“Oh, definitely.” The blonde chortled. “You can just feeeel the tension in the air around them.” 

“Or maybe it’s the tension of not knowing whether or not she’s finally gonna snap.” Brick replied.

“I don’t think that’s the case at all.” Moxxi interrupted, carefully placing a drink on the table. 

“Oh, yeah?” The sniper responded. “And what makes you so sure about that?” 

“Tyreen’s been working for me and Elle this past week.” The barkeep replied as she crossed her arms. “Maybe it’s just the psychological trauma of being alone in that cell for a month, but from what I gather she’s at least trying to be better.”

“A week.” Mordecai laughed dryly. “You really think you’re going to gauge her entire future on a week? Give it time, and I’m sure we’re going to end up right back where we were before. Trying to put her down.” 

“People change, sugar. Before Jack was, well, Jack… He was a damned hero. Nobody thought he’d end up as one of the galaxy’s most nefarious tyrants. Who’s to say the reverse can’t be true?” 

“Well, I don’t think she should even have that option!” Brick burst, banging a fist on the table. “People died because of her! Good people! She doesn’t even deserve that chance!” 

“It’s not about what you want, it’s about what’s right.” Moxxi replied sternly. “So far from what I can see, she’s trying to change. Maybe it’s for Moze, maybe it’s all just an act, or maybe it’s really true and she genuinely is trying. And if that’s the case then to just … kill her? That’s not our style, Brick. And you know it.” 

“Being a good person is hard.” The brawler groaned wearily. 

“It sure is, hon.” The barkeep sighed. “It sure is.” 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Good morning, sweetheart.” Leda burst, kissing Tyreen on the forehead. 

“Yeah, Ty! Wake up! It’s our birthday!” Troy added, jumping in anticipation.

Tyreen groggily opened her eyes, watching her loved ones surround her bed.

“I can’t believe you two are already six years old.” The twins mother commented, kissing her son on the cheek. “Let’s go outside, your dad has a surprise for you two.”

The young sirens chuckled enthusiastically, both quickly reaching for their mother’s hands so she could escort them to their surprise. 

Outside the cave that had served as the family’s home the twins discovered their father’s spaceship. The sun had already begun to rise over Nekrotafeyo, the desert sand already warm beneath the bare feet of the twins.

“Whoah!” Troy burst, running to the ship.

“Pretty cool, huh, kiddo?” Typhon asked, as he exited the ship to embrace his son. 

“This goes in space?!” Tyreen squealed, running to hug her father. 

“Sure does! And I’m gonna give you two a tour of the whole thing.” Typhon replied with a smile. 

“Will – will – will you teach us to fly it one day?!” The vault hunter’s daughter asked so excitedly that she had practically begun to hyperventilate. 

“Yeah!” Troy interjected. “We could be vault hunters like you and mom!”

Leda slowly embraced her daughter from behind, kissing her on the top of the head. “We told you already, mi amor. We can’t leave this planet, it’s too dangerous for you two.” 

“Not … Not ever?” Tyreen asked, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, darling. But you two are too precious to -” Before she could finish her sentence, the twin’s mother gasped for air, every breath becoming more and more difficult as her lungs began to solidify. 

“Mommy!” Tyreen screamed, turning to grab her mother’s arm. Not realizing that she was the source of her mother’s anguish. 

Typhon quickly ran to his wife, desperate to ascertain what was happening. “Let her go Tyreen” Her father screamed. “You gotta -” But before he could finish it was too late. All that remained of their mother was a crystalized husk. “You little monster!” Typhon roared, his eyes turning a deep red.

“You killed mommy.” The siren’s brother laughed, his eyes also turning red. “Monster!” 

“You kill everything you love! You hurt everything you touch! And you deserve it!” Leda’s husk screamed, grabbing the young siren’s arm painfully. 

* * *

Tyreen awoke screaming, tears rolling down her cheeks. The pain she had felt in her arm quickly dissipated upon the realization that she no longer even possessed it anymore. 

“Hey, easy!” Moze replied groggily. “What’s wrong? Nightmare?” 

The siren quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded. 

The gunner thought on the events that had transpired pre-nap, she wanted to punish her for lashing out at Amara. She wanted to ensure that Tyreen knew she was mad at her, but above all else she just didn’t want to see her in pain. “Do you, uh, wanna talk about it?” Moze asked apprehensively. 

The nightmare was a recurring one. One that had haunted her ever since she had unintentionally murdered her own mother. It was one she held close to her heart, because deep down she knew it had elements of truth to it. She was a monster, and as much as she reveled in the role of a god-queen, now it was just a reminder of how fucked up she had become, and how far away a normal life would ever be if she truly wished to have one. “I killed my own mom.” The siren responded, clenching her teeth.

“Shit, dude.” Moze gasped. “Like, in the dream, or-”

“For real, Moze.” Tyreen growled. “I – I murdered my own mother. I – My mommy, she -”

“How?” The soldier asked sternly.

“It – I don’t know, it was an accident, I was only six, and I didn’t know how to control my powers, I -”

“So, it was an accident?” Moze asked, softening the tone in her voice.

“Mhm.” The taller woman nodded. “I loved her, Moze. And I -”

“You were a little girl, Tyreen. You didn’t know any better, and that’s not your fault.” 

The siren lowered herself, her head now back on the soldier’s lap. It was a position she was beginning to love, it reminded her of home, of better times, and having someone who actually cared for her. Not because she was a god-queen, or a siren, but because they loved her for who she was, and deep down she knew just sitting here was more than she deserved. “I’m a monster.” 

Moze shrugged. “Monster? I don’t know if some things can ever be forgiven. Your mom dying was an accident, but everything you did after that? That was deliberate… But maybe now that you’ve got a career change, you’ll be slightly less of an asshole.” 

“That’s your pep talk?” Tyreen scoffed. “Don’t quit your day job, vault hunter.” 

“I’m a soldier, not a therapist. Give me a break.” The gunner chuckled. “Besides, admit it. You know you’re an asshole.” 

The jab drew a soft smile from the siren. “Do you really think they’re gonna let me stay here forever?”

“Anvil’s not as safe as we thought, there’s nowhere else to put you, and I have a feeling you’re kind of growing on Moxxi. Yeah, I think things’ll turn out alright.” 

“Did you ever find out what happened with Ava? Tannis said she’s the reason why we both made it back to the ship.” 

“No. But, I’m gonna find out. I'll see you later.” 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Yo, vault hunter!” Balex called, noticing Moze as she entered the bridge. “Mind comin’ over here for a second?”

“Sure, dude! But have you seen Ava? I need to talk to her.” The soldier replied. Glancing around the bridge for the teenage siren. 

“That’s what I want to talk to you about.” The navigator replied. “She said she wants to talk to you in her room. Now I don’t know about you, but that seems awfully fishy to me. I can do a lot of shit, but I can’t keep you safe in there if anything goes down, you get me?” 

“Yeah, man. I get it. But something tells me if Ava really wanted to hurt us, she would’ve just left us back in the jungle. Or, I don’t know… tossed us over a cliff or something?” 

“Aight.” Balex replied. “Just be careful, vault hunter. You’re good people.”

The soldier gave a casual two finger salute as she turned and made her way to the siren’s quarters. Fortunately for Moze, the young siren’s room was right next to the bridge, meaning that the anticipation to their upcoming conversation would be brief. 

As Moze approached the teen’s door, it proceeded to open automatically. Inside the room, Ava sat on the floor, cross-legged, with a grimace on her face.

“Um, hey, Ava.” 

“Hey.” The blue-haired girl replied in turn.

The vault hunter apprehensively looked around the room, a tense silence making the entire situation even more awkward. “I just wanted to thank – ”

“Sit down, Moze.” Ava grumbled, crossing her arms.

The soldier slowly sat down and furrowed her eyebrows. “I -”

“Why Tyreen?” Ava questioned sternly. 

“I -”

“And no bullshit!” The siren interjected. “It’s just you and me! You saved her for a reason, I know it, you know it, everybody knows it. So, say it!” 

“If you ‘know’ why I saved her then why do I need to say it?” Moze replied calmly. 

“Because Maya. My tutor, my best friend… died. Because of her. So, I need to hear you say why you saved the person who killed my friend.” 

“I saved her because she gave up, she was defenseless, she-”

“And apparently so was Handsome Jack! Yeah! Lilith told me all about it! After the warrior died, Jack was defenseless too! No guns, no escape exits, no tricks left. It was just him, and some vault hunters. But you know what? They did their job, and they killed him! So, tell me really. For Maya. Why did you save Tyreen?” She asked sternly. “I need to hear you say it.” 

Realizing the futility of trying to come up with more excuses, Moze realized the only answer she could give now to possibly defuse the situation would be the truth. “I saved her because I was stupid. Because I liked her... I like her. I was selfish, and -”

“Why?” Ava cut in flatly. 

“I don’t -”

“Why do you like her?” The teenager asked, losing her patience. 

“I don’t know, dude! She’s – she’s charming, and she’s gorgeous, and she’s funny, and -”

“You’re a freaking vault hunter!” Ava burst. “You’re Moze the fucking gunner! You saved the galaxy! You could have anyone you want, and you choose her?!” Ava’s voice cracked. The siren immediately stood up and turned to face the corner. 

“If you don’t like us so much then why did you save us?” Moze asked apprehensively. 

“I saved you, because I knew it’s exactly what Tyreen wouldn’t do. I wanted to show you that Tannis, Amara, me… We’re your friends! We’re what sirens should be! Not her! But … when Tina called in, saying she tried to sacrifice herself for you, I just…”

“Realized she’s making progress?” 

“Realized, bad people can do good things too. One good decision doesn’t take back all the other ones. Besides, I’m pretty sure she would’ve rather died then be forced to spend the rest of her life imprisoned anyways. Maybe her choice was a bit more selfish than you think.” 

The awkward silence filled the room again. Only to be interrupted by one final question from Moze. “Why exactly did you want to talk to me?” 

“Word spreads quick, the Anvil isn’t safe enough to house your girlfriend anymore.” 

“She’s not my -”

“She can stay on the ship for the rest of her life for all I care, but YOU are going to be responsible for her. If she needs to leech…” The siren paused. “You have such weird fucking taste.” She muttered. “Then it’s your responsibility to feed her. You’re in charge of making sure she doesn’t go bananas in her cell or hurt anybody or whatever. Everything she does from here on out is on you.” 

“That was pretty much the deal from the get-go. What’s the catch?” Moze asked nervously, watching the siren actually smile for the first time in a long time.

“If she steps out of line, no, when she steps out of line... If she does anything to hurt any of the crew. I’m going to kill her myself.” Ava grinned. “There is no catch, you know she’s a shitty person. It’s not my fault that you just don’t get that.” 

Realizing there was nothing left to be said, and with no further questions to ask. Moze smiled and left the room. By the time she had left she realized it was around the time she had last met Amara at the bar and decided to test her luck. There was nothing more therapeutic than a night with a friend. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Oh, Moze! That’s great news!” Amara burst, hugging the shorter woman. “Do you know what this means?” 

“That I’m on babysitting duty for life?” The gunner chuckled.

“No! It means you can go back to being a vault hunter with Zane, Fl4k, and I! You said it yourself, Moxxi has no quarrel allowing the siren to work here on the ship! Which means you no longer have to ensure she’s not unintentionally being placed in solitary! You can have a life again! Tyreen will be just fine here on Sanctuary!” 

The soldier paused, quickly realizing the truth in the siren’s words. “You’re right, dude. Holy shit! Things can finally go back to normal.”

“A toast, Moserah! To your heroism” The siren laughed, as the two women clanked their glasses together, alcohol spilling from their drinks. 

* * *

Hours passed as the two women celebrated, perhaps with a bit too much alcohol. Most of the patrons in Moxxi’s had already left, the entire galaxy closing upon itself until it was nothing but the microcosm of the lives of these two women. Cigarette smoke gently wafted in the air, diluting the light of the room, and blues music played quietly in the background, but the vault hunters didn’t notice. At this moment, it was just the two of them.

“I know I’ve said this before.” Amara giggled. “But I missed this! It’s been awhile since I’ve had a girlfriend to hang around with. I mean, Zane tries… but -” The siren immediately burst into another fit of laughter. 

“Oh, me too.” Moze smiled, taking a shot of a brand of vodka she couldn’t even pronounce while sober. “Look, Tyreen is a fucking goddess, but lately she just cries… ALL THE TIME.” The gunner chuckled, releasing a snort. “She’s like – she’s like… I haven’t seen that much crying since Zane accidentally dropped his favorite legendary rifle off a cliff back when we first landed on Pandora!” The two both started laughing hysterically.

“Did ya see that shite?” Amara replied. Miserably failing at trying to impersonate their friend, sending both vault hunters into another fit of laughter. 

As their laughter died down they both paused. Amara’s eyes glistened in the light as she gazed at the soldier. The two girls remained quiet, enjoying each other’s silence, both trying to discern whether the electricity in the air was a result of some deeply repressed feelings or copious amounts of booze. 

“It’s uh, gettin’ late” Moze hiccuped. “I’m gonna – get some rest. Gonna need it now that I’m back in the vault hunting game!” She replied, playfully shadow boxing the air, causing the siren to giggle. 

“Alright, let’s get some rest.”

The two women soon arrived at the front entrance to Amara’s room. “You sure you wouldn’t like to stay here tonight? I’m sure … Tyreen won’t mind once she learns how lucky she got.” 

“I told Tyreen I’d be back later, but how’s… tomorrow night?” Moze replied gently, not realizing how close the two had drawn together. 

“I’d like that.” Amara purred. Her face now inches away from Moze’s. “Unless, you – ”

“No!” Moze, interrupted. “I’d… I’d love that.” As the two women drew even nearer the gunner slowly shut her eyes, feeling the warmth of the siren’s lips pressing gently into hers. Amara gently grasped both of the shorter woman’s arms as their lips melted into one another. It had been so long since Moze had felt such bliss, but much like many other moments of happiness in her life, it was quickly interrupted. Only this time the interruption was not a surprise attack, or an unexpected redeployment, but a gasp coming from none other than Tyreen Calypso. 

The drawback of living on a spaceship meant that unless you were living on a company ship like the former Helios Moonbase or a warship, it meant that your living space was going to be fairly small. An observation that, in hindsight, was clearly obvious upon the realization that both Amara and Moze’s rooms were connected to one another. 

“Tyreen, wait!” Moze burst, watching as the siren slammed the door of their room shut. 

Amara hesitated. “What was that all about?” 

Moze paused, reflecting on why Tyreen was upset in the first place. It’s not like the two were dating, hell, they weren’t even really friends at this point. Either way, this encounter prompted her to make one suggestion. “Do you mind if I take you up on that offer after all, Amara?” 

The siren chucked, planting another kiss on the shorter woman’s lips. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”


	8. The Times They Are-A-Changin'

Moze never believed in karma, bad people never really got their just desserts, but after last night she was fairly certain the universe was compensating her for saving Tyreen’s life. The gunner had awoken in Amara’s bed, the siren’s muscular arms still wrapped around her causing Moze’s cheeks to flush. She slowly turned to discover that the woman was still sleeping, but she was mumbling something. The soldier rested her eyes, making nothing of the mumbles until she recognized one word slipping out of the siren’s mouth, a name, Gythian. 

Moze gently began shaking the siren, recognizing the name of the Eldritch beast, and aware of all the potential horrors that could arise when you got involved with these Lovecraftian horrors she knew she had to get to the bottom of this. 

“Hey, Amara, wake up.” She whispered worryingly. 

“Moze, what is it? Is everything alright?” The siren questioned, releasing Moze and proceeding to sit up.  
“You were talking in your sleep, dude.” Moze replied. “You said a name –“

“Gythian.” The siren responded wearily.

“Why did you say that name? Is everything ok? You -”

Moze’s inquiries were immediately abrupted by a soft kiss from the siren. “Always the protector, Moserah.” She chuckled, gently caressing the gunner’s cheek. “It’s just a nightmare… our journey to Xylourgos all those months ago was . . .”

“Rough.” Moze chuckled sadly. “I know.

“It’s alright, I’m alright, Moze. Thank you. It was just one of those missions that sticks, you know?” The siren replied with a sigh. “Anyhow, since we are on the topic of monsters… don’t you still have to tell Tyreen that she is on house arrest for the rest of her life?” 

“Yeah.” Moze responded, trying to discern as to why that remark had made her feel angry. “Sorry, I postponed telling you about the fate of your own life, I was too busy fucking the neighbor.” She replied sardonically, causing Amara to tilt her head in shock.

“Ugh, I’m sorry, Amara.” The soldier sighed. “Everything’s just been so stressful lately, I’ve been fighting so hard for her, y’know? And then I almost fucking died yesterday twice, once after I let her fucking leech me of all ways to go, and -”

“No, I understand, Moserah. I -”

“Do you?!” Moze burst, tears now forming in her eyes. “Because I don’t think you do. Everyone acts like I’m fucking crazy ever since I saved her! Like I was trying to save a rabid fucking skag of all things! Well who’s more of a monster, Amara? Tyreen or the woman who saved her fucking life because she likes her?!

The shock on Amara’s face was unmistakable, but she quickly calmed herself before questioning Moze any further. “Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell Zane or-”

“Why the fuck do you think I haven’t?! Moze spat, wiping her tears away with her arm. 

The two women sat alone in silence for what felt like an eternity before the siren apologized and pressed for one final question. “So, if you like Tyreen. . . then last night was-”

“You’re good for me, Amara!” Moze interjected, quickly grasping her fellow vault hunter’s hands. Tannis’s words echoing in her head. Maybe the scientist was right, maybe spending some time in a real relationship would somehow cure her of her ridiculous crush once and for all. 

The taller woman, more confused than ever, simply stared at their interlacing fingers, wondering what Moze could possibly do next.

“I’m sorry for lashing out at you! And I really enjoyed last night, and I’d totally do this again, I’m just really bad at this sort of thing, and -”

Amara once again abrupted Moze’s rambling with a kiss. “I’d enjoy that immensely” She purred. “Stay the night again, today? I can make you some tea? Let you have a night to just rest for once?” 

The gunner smiled, wondering what she had done to deserve this, but also wondering as to why it had all felt so off. Amara was gorgeous, a vigilante on her home world fighting for truth and justice, and a genuinely good person at heart, yet there was a small part of Moze that just wasn’t fully content. She should have been happy, genuinely happy, but a trace of guilt began to gnaw at her soul. Even after all the had done for the prisoner, she had wondered how Tyreen was feeling last night while she and Amara, well, rested. 

“I’ll see you tonight?” Moze replied, getting up to get dressed. “I should probably get around to telling Ty that she’s going to be alright. I mean, as far as life imprisonment goes anyways.” 

“I still don’t understand how you could fall for that woman.” Amara responded, attempting to repress her disgust. “But I admire your capacity for kindness nevertheless.” 

The gunner merely smiled, finished getting dressed, and exited the room. The truth of the matter was that it wasn’t out of kindness, but out of infatuation that she had saved Tyreen. In just these past few months the soldier had probably killed thousands of bandits. Sure, most were probably too far gone for rehabilitation, but every bullet fired from her guns, every rocket blasted from Iron Bear, ended with the same result, death. Little flickers of light and life quickly vanishing throughout the cosmos, all because it was easier to just put these bandits down like animals than to stop and try to take the time to better them.

The more she thought about it the more she began to realize that maybe Tyreen really did have the right idea after all. Not to start a fanatical cult and pursue godhood, but to unify these outcasts with the hope of self-improvement. Countless lives could be saved all across the borderlands, but this idea was just a pipe dream. The only people ever to show success in uniting these legions of maniacs were the Calypsos, and now Tyreen was, well, she just was. 

Shaking her head, the gunner proceeded to knock on the door to her room? Tyreen’s cell? Life always seemingly had the ability to become unpredictable at the worst moments possible. Whoever owned the room at this point was irrelevant. Moze knocked one more time before finally opening the door. 

“Back so soon?” Tyreen remarked dryly, putting on the vest Moxxi had made her. 

“What’s with the attitude?” Moze replied, now trying not to get frustrated. “I’m here with good news.”

“Your girlfriend’s moving off the ship?” The siren chuckled.

“What is your deal with Amara? Y’know what? I don’t care!” Moze burst angrily. “Y’know why? Because you’re gonna be here in Sanctuary for the rest of your life, so you better get used to her!” 

The prospect of being locked up in a ship until death was not an appealing thought, but it was infinitely better than being chained up in what was essentially a box. Living on the ship might not even be so bad, she truly had nowhere else to go anyways, but Tyreen couldn’t shake the thought of that kiss between Moze and that other little siren bitch. She knew the soldier deserved better, but then again, who was better than Amara? Her? The taller woman simply clenched her fists, trying to get some answers, and most importantly, trying to figure out why the kiss had made her so angry in the first place. 

“You didn’t deny that your ‘lil siren sister’ was your girlfriend.” Tyreen mocked, attempting to disguise her nerves with attitude. 

“I don’t know what we are, right now, and that’s none of your concern anyways.” The soldier replied, putting her hands on her hips. “Anyways, you should probably get going now. Maybe a little time at Moxxi’s will help you chill out.” 

“Whatever.” Tyreen replied, making her way for the door. 

The vault hunter sighed and wondered what exactly the future held in store. 

*Six months later*

Half a year had passed since the fight on Eden-6, and things on Sanctuary had finally regained a semblance of normality, or at least close to it, for life in the Borderlands was anything but normal. 

Around six months of official “house-arrest” would probably be hell to most people, but Tyreen had actually begun to enjoy her time working at Moxxi’s. The siren’s natural black hair color was beginning to grow back, and she had no intention of dying it ever again even if she could. One of her first acts of rebellion after running away from home with Troy was bleaching her hair, and it was just another part of her past she wanted to kill. Maybe with her hair longer and back to its original color she’d even look like her mother. 

“Bar-queen, Tyreen. Coming at’cha live. We need three ratch burgers and a Pandoran ale, Moxx. Customers are getting restless.” Tyreen remarked playfully, carefully washing a glass in the sink.

“Ok, first of all. We don’t serve burgers here, and secondly, you should know by now that that sort of behavior is not exactly up to the standard of my bar.” Moxxi replied flatly. 

“Geesh, and I thought that I was the one who sucked the life out of everything.” The siren quipped. “But seriously, Moxx, I’m starving. Is it time for lunch yet? If I don’t eat soon, I’m going to end up leeching that little siren bitch over there.” She remarked, glaring at Amara who was sitting in a booth, arm draped around her girlfriend, Moze. 

“Tyreen, honey. If there’s two things I know, it’s machines, and people. You’ve got a thing for that Moze girl, whether you want to admit it or not. You can lie to yourself, but you can’t lie to me.” 

The taller woman groaned in frustration. “Fine! Maybe I think she’s hot or something… There! Happy?” 

“See? Now that wasn’t so hard now was it?” The barkeep smiled, gently placing a hand on younger woman’s shoulder. “But, really. You should at least talk to her, you two could be friends.” 

“I don’t want to just ‘be friends’ with her.” Tyreen remarked bitterly.

“You can’t be more than friends if you were never friends in the first place, sugar.” 

“I know that!” The siren groaned. “But even if we were friends I’d still probably just end up watching as those two shoved their tongues down each other’s throats.” She replied, disgust in her voice as she watched Moze laughing at joke her girlfriend had just made. “God! It’s like they come in here on purpose! And you know what? It’d never even work out anyways! What would there even be to talk about?” 

“You used to stream . . . incessantly.” Moxxi replied, taking the cup from Tyreen and putting it in a shelf. “You had plenty to say then. What would you usually talk about?” 

“Oh, I never really talked like, had conversations. I was usually just hosting competition’s to see how many sacrifices I could get in a day.” The taller woman smiled.

“That’s horrible. You know that, right?” Moxxi replied sternly.

“Yeah, yeah. I know.” Tyreen replied, recognizing that she had begun to take less and less pleasure at the thoughts of her past. “I mean, at least I could eat’n’leech whenever I wanted back then.” She smiled, gently nudging Moxxi’s shoulder. “Bet the bandits would lemme eat all the burgers I wanted.”

“If I gave you access to Sanctuary’s galley, we’d all be eating salads from this point onwards. Vegetables are the one thing you don’t inhale.” 

“What can I say? I’m a big girl.” Tyreen smiled, managing to stretch her arm to touch the ceiling of the bar even while sitting down. 

The barkeep sighed, and promptly tried turning the conversation back to its initial point. “I’m sure you’d have plenty of things to actually talk about. What was one of your interests before you ran away from home? Your father was the first vault hunter! You must’ve had some interesting stories.” 

Tyreen proceeded to blush, pushing her hair out of her face. “Actually.” She chuckled nervously. “I used to read more than anything else.”

Moxxi was stupefied by the woman’s response, simply replying with a shocked “What?”

“Troy and I were trapped on Nekra-to-fucking-fayo for sixteen years with nothing but sand and a database to one of the largest libraries in the universe in dad’s ship. What do you think we did for sixteen years? Stare at a mirror?” The siren replied sarcastically. 

“That’s a fair point alright.” The barkeep smiled. “Don’t be afraid to be yourself around those you’re close with.” 

“Ok, first of all, Moze and I aren’t even friends, and secondly, I’ve never hid anything about myself.” Tyreen scoffed. “You’ve all seen who I am!” 

“So, the depth of your character ends at memes and human sacrifices then? Alright.” 

“Oh, come on, Moxxi. What do you want from me?”

“I want to help you, hon. And I also want you to clear your head so you can get back to work.” She replied, gesturing to pile of cups that had piled up in the sink. “I mean honestly, the only people in here today were the vault hunters, how did that mess even happen in the first place?” 

The siren merely shrugged, and begun washing the next cup, eyes still transfixed on the happy couple in the corner of the room. 

“Take the day off, Tyreen. I’m not in the mood to clean the blood off the walls if you two get into a fight.” The barkeep smiled.

“You’d put all your money on me though, right?” The younger woman chuckled, raising an eyebrow. 

“As fun as that would be to see.” Moxxi replied dryly. “I’m pretty sure the winner in that fight would be Moze. You two may be sirens, but Moze has guns, lots of them, and she’s a hell of a lot more trigger happy than the two of you combined.”

“Tell me about it!” Tyreen smiled, resting her head on her hand. “She’s so cute, right?” 

“Actually, it is kind of cute seeing you like this. Doing normal, non-murderous things. Just talk to her when you get the chance, and I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

“Alright, Moxx. See ya tomorrow.” Tyreen replied, and proceeded to head towards her room.

* * *

A few weeks after Amara and Moze had officially begun dating, the two decided it would be best for the soldier to move in with her, leaving Moze’s old room to Tyreen. Having a ‘job’ at Moxxi’s definitely gave the woman a sense of normalcy, all of this infinitely better than the fate she would’ve suffered on Eden-6, but it was still a lonely, boring existence. She had begun to miss her night’s with Moze and the warmth and understanding she had provided her all those months ago. 

Now, every single night she was forced to hear the muffled laughter of the couple, amongst other things that made her sick. Just the thought of the two together had made Tyreen angry, auditory confirmation that they were together and happy had made her furious. And tonight she was not going to stand for it any longer. 

The siren made her way for the door, still in her pajamas. She had truly become apathetic towards the citizens of this ship, time didn’t change the fact that nearly everyone aboard still wanted her dead, and other’s opinions never really mattered much to her anyways. Who were these little ratches to judge the woman who had nearly ascended to godhood?

Before she could reach the door, however, she was startled to hear a knock coming from the door. “Hey.” A familiar voice shouted. “Mind if I come in? It’ll be quick, I promise.” 

“Uh, yeah! Sure! Come in, Moze!” Tyreen shouted, quickly rushing to act as if she was not just on her way to make a scene’

“Thanks!” Moze replied, entering the room, also wearing her pajamas. 

Tyreen tried not to stare at the soldier, even in a tanktop, sweats with little bears on them, bear slippers, and her signature helmet still on, she somehow managed to be one of the most gorgeous women she had ever seen. “What, uh, brings you here?” The siren asked, attempting to be as nonchalant as possible. 

“I’m just looking for my old radio, I think I might have forgot it here. Any idea where it is?” The gunner asked.

“Uh, gimme a sec.” Tyreen replied. The radio had actually been the only source of entertainment she had left in her room, but she was more than happy to give it up thanks to her recently acknowledged feelings for the shorter woman. “Waddaya need it for anyways?” 

“Okay, okay, okay! Get this!” Moze replied excitedly. “Remember how the gang and I left on a mission for a couple weeks last month?”

“Uh, yeah?” Tyreen replied, reveling in the fact that she was actually talking to the soldier again.

“Okay, well! Long story short. We all got trapped on this big space casino Handsome Jack made back when he was still alive!”

“A space casino?” The siren interjected. “Why didn’t I think of that?” 

The vault hunter merely tilted her head and continued. “Anyways, we got trapped in there, and you know who we meet? Digby Vermouth!”

“Digby fucking Vermouth?! The jazz musician? Seriously?” Tyreen questioned, her excitement raising to match that of her visitor.

“Yes!” Moze exclaimed. “And guess what? We all got to help him make his new song after we helped him find his saxophone after it got lost!”

“That’s fucking amazing!” Tyreen replied enthusiastically. “Troy and I practically grew up on his songs. Dad used to play his shit all the time when we were little.”

“Born and raised on the sax man, huh? I didn’t discover him until I was already in Vladof. The boys used to play em’ ALL THE TIME back in our barracks. On one of our missions we even blasted that shit through the speakers of our Iron Bear units! You shoulda seen the looks those Maliwan assholes gave us. Every single one of us willing to fight and die for the cause, but rockin’ out to the sax master the whole fucking time. It wasn’t even a fight, really. Those Maliwan guys just ran away they were so freaked out.”

“I was gonna scold you for not hearing about him until you were an adult, but you get bonus points for the story.” Tyreen smiled, pushing her hair from her face.

“Yeah.” Moze, digressed. “Amara and I just wanted to listen to the radio, see if we can hear our work.”

“Alright.” Tyreen replied, trying to hide her disappointment that their conversation was coming to a close.

“Thanks, Tyreen.” The gunner replied, in shock they were even having a conversation like normal people. “Wait, what exactly do you do around here? There’s like . . . nothing in here, man.”

“Pretty spartan, right?” The siren questioned, throwing a little flair into her voice to offset the loss she was feeling giving up her one belonging. 

“Pretty spartan? Are you flirting with me?” Moze asked quizzically.

“What?!” Tyreen blushed. “No! Uh, spartan just means like, simple.” 

“Oh, huh.” The vault hunter commented. “The more y’know. Where’d you learn that anyways?”

“Books!” The taller woman burst awkwardly. 

“You read?!”

“Why is everyone so shocked about this?! Yes, I’ve read, probably more than anyone on this fucking ship for your information. Well, except that Tannis lady.”

“You are just full of surprises, aren’t you?” Moze smiled. “Anyways, you never answered my question. What exactly do you do to pass the time once you’re done at Moxxi’s?” 

“Not much honestly.” Tyreen replied, rubbing the back of her head. “That radio is kind of the only thing I have for any fun around here.” 

“Ah, shit. Keep it then, dude. Just let us know if you hear Digby’s latest song come on?” The shorter woman replied, unable to mask the concern in her voice.

“Um, thanks, vault hunter.” The siren replied softly. 

“Anytime.” Moze replied, heading for the door. “Hey, uh, Amara usually meditates for a while early in the evenings. If you want I can stop by tomorrow? Give you a little company? You can tell me more about these ‘books’ that you’ve read?” she added with a chuckle. 

“I’d like that, thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

The gunner merely nodded, waved goodbye, and left the room. Leaving Tyreen alone to scream inaudibly with excitement. A tiny part of the siren hated herself for this. The gushing, the excitement, the sheer desperation for attention from this woman. A year ago she would have found this entire scenario to be pitiful. But now? She had come to realize that maybe being a regular person wasn’t so bad after all, and that it was only in attempting so desperately to become more than human that she had become more human than she had ever been before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, despite the fact that I've been in quarantine, my schedule has managed to become busier than it's been in a very long time. (Hence the lateness on this update, but I mean, I personally felt like it made the time jump in the story feel more organic haha.) Anyways, these are rough times. Be safe, be kind, and until next time, see ya in the next update.


	9. Moving Forward

It was the following morning, and it was a great day to be a vault hunter. The mission today was simple: residents of a local Pandoran town were being raided by bandits, and it was up to Moze and her friends to clean up the mess. A low stakes mission with the chance for some decent loot, it was the perfect way to try to distract herself from the excitement she was feeling for seeing Tyreen later in the evening. 

Six months of dating Amara had provided the gunner with what was a distraction at best from her feelings for the former self-proclaimed god-queen. And unfortunately for her, she had begun to realize that in the end, this relationship wasn’t going to work out, and it would all be her fault. A realization that was taking place in the middle of a battlefield. 

The squad, which consisted of Fl4k, Moze, Amara, and Zane had all been pinned down in a building at the heart of the desert town. A hail of gunfire rained down upon the building causing Zane, who positioned himself near one of the windows to laugh heartily. 

“Oh, ain’t this just like the good ol’ days?!” The operative laughed. “Just the four of us, against impossible odds, fightin’ off hordes-o-bandits!” He continued, tossing a grenade out the window. 

“Exactly so!” Amara burst, turning to find that Moze was now seemingly uncharacteristically lost in thought near the front entrance of the building. “Moze, darling? Are you alright?” She inquired to the gunner, completely calm despite the battle raging around her. “You haven’t even used the new rocket launcher I bought you.” 

The soldier wanted to like Amara, to more than like her, to love her. Amara was in fact, probably one of the most morally grounded of all the vault hunters, if not the entirety of the crimson raiders themselves. Almost every single vault hunter had had a problematic past, Moze with the atrocities of war that she had committed working for Vladof, Mordecai with his poaching, both Brick and Krieg practically teetered along the edges of being bandits, almost every single vault hunter had been a criminal in every sense of the words at some point in time, but not Amara. She was out here for adventure and for justice, and in Moze’s heart, she was more than she would ever deserve. 

“Yeah, yeah.” Moze responded softly, checking her timer to see how long it would take Iron Bear to fully charge. “I’m sorry, babe, I -”

“Ok! Almost like the good ol’ days!” Zane interjected loudly. “Remember when we could go on missions without those two being all –” The operative began to pucker his lips and making kissing noises. “Smoochy smoochy?”

“I for one, think it is romantic.” Fl4k responded, as they sniped a bandit who had positioned himself on the roof of a nearby building. 

“Oh, of course ya do, ya big softie!” Zane replied teasingly. “Enough of the romance! Moze! How long till the bear’s outta the cage?!” 

The soldier kissed her girlfriend on the cheek, proceeding to head towards the window Zane was stationed at. Taking cover on the opposite side of the operative, she reached into her pockets, retrieved a piece of bubblegum, tossed it into her mouth, and counted down on her fingers.

Three, two, one. 

Screams of terror began to fill the air as Iron Bear digistructed outside their building, flamethrowers burning anything and everything within its range to a crisp. 

“Geez, that never gets old.” Zane chuckled. “Glad yer on our side!” 

“Damn right, you are.” The gunner replied, blowing a bubble with her gum. Partly enjoying the compliment, and some part of her wondering how the universe would have fared had she actually accepted Tyreen’s offer to join her way back when. She never actually would have joined, she hated bandits, but if it wasn’t for her involvement in slaying the destroyer, Tyreen actually would have succeeded on her quest, and it was hard not to wonder what life would be like if you made one past decision over another. 

“The rakks will feast tonight.” Fl4k commented matter-of-factly, watching the carnage through the window. 

“Hey, speaking of which. Moze replied, placing a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “You still got that cryo rifle of yours?” 

“Always, Moserah. Why do you ask?” The robot responded, tilting their head. 

“Mind freezing up some of those rakks for me? It’s been awhile since Tyreen’s leeched anything, and maybe I – we can surprise her?” She answered nervously, watching as everyone in the room, including Amara, now had all eyes firmly planted on her. “Y’know.” She continued. “Moxxi told me she’s not causing any trouble, and with her past history that’s really good, right?”

“Of course.” Fl4k responded. 

“Thanks, dude.” The gunner replied, now looking out the window for hostiles. “Alright, Fl4k, you take point. Looks like Iron Bear cleared this place out for the most part. Zane, cover their back! Amara, um, babe, I – ”

“A word?” The siren interjected seriously, looking down on her girlfriend. 

“Looks like someone’s in trouble.” Zane whispered playfully to Fl4k as the duo exited the building, obeying Moze’s orders. 

“Amara, is this about the rakk thing? I -”

“First the zoning out in a battlefield of all places, and now this?” Amara replied sternly, crossing her arms as she looked down on the shorter woman. “Am I wrong to come to a conclusion here, Moserah?” 

The soldier stared into her girlfriend’s eyes, wanting to come clean. To just admit she still harbored feelings for the other siren, but she couldn’t, partly due to not wanting to hurt her, and partly due to the fact that she still clung to the belief that more time with Amara would help. It all would have been so much easier if she had just told the truth earlier, but unable to find the right words, and wondering whether or not there was something wrong with her for still having feelings for Tyreen instead of her own girlfriend, she began to cry. 

Amara, instantly embraced the gunner, ignoring the fact that they were both drenched in sweat and dirt from their morning fighting bandits. “You can tell me anything, darling. It’s alright. You know I love -”

“There’s something wrong with me!” Moze burst through her sobs, embracing the taller woman. “I don’t deserve you! I –” 

“Oh, nonsense!” Amara cut in. “What could possibly be wrong with you, my Moserah.” She replied, gently lifting up her girlfriend’s chin to look her in the eyes. 

“Can we talk about it later?” Moze sobbed, her face planted into Amara’s chest, dampening her shirt. 

“Of course. I love y-”

“I love you too.” The soldier interjected, now sobbing even harder. It was too painful to hear Amara say these words, she had to cut her off somehow, but in her anguish she had picked what was possibly the worst response possible, for it was a lie. 

The siren drew their lips together, but before any further comments could be made, the kiss was interrupted by the voice of the Irishman. 

“Hey, lovebirds! Coast is clear, and the locals wanna talk to us! Don’t see any loot boxes though, so don’t get yer hopes up!” Zane shouted, only his head popping in through the front door. 

“Okay, Zane. We’ll be right there!” Amara shouted, wiping a tear that had begun to drip down Moze’s cheek. “Will you be alright?” 

The soldier merely nodded, wiped away the rest of her tears, and proceeded to head outside. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Outside, the local residents were cleaning up the detritus of the battle, while the mayor of the town thanked the vault hunters.

“Thank y’all for helpin’ us out.” The mayor, who’s name escaped Moze, remarked. “Some new faction of bandits have been claimin’ turf around here. Children of the Firehawk or something or other. They’ve been forcin’ out all the COV in every which way, including ours! –”

The mayor continued his tirade, but it was of no interest to Moze. Her thoughts were still firmly planted on how she would inevitably deal with the Amara/Tyreen situation, and how she had gotten into this circumstance in the first place. Either way, her relationship conundrum was actually a nice distraction from meeting this mayor. Meeting civilians in Moze’s line of work was always a nightmare. One day a civilian is inviting you over to their house, thanking you for assisting them in their war for freedom, the next day they’re just collateral. Some days a civilian is inviting you over for drinks, the next day they’re trying to kill you. On the ride back to Sanctuary, Moze decided she would let her thoughts linger on her relationship instead of her past. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Back in their room, Amara rested her head on Moze’s shoulder as the two laid in bed. Amara’s room which used to be neat and orderly, a proper home and place of zen, now looked like the combination of a garage and a teenage girl’s bedroom. Mechanical equipment, weapons, and pieces of metal used to repair and modify Iron Bear had all been littered across the floor, but it was no matter. All of this “junk” belonged to the woman she loved, and she’d eventually have her organize it all properly, but for now, only one thought resonated with the siren, and it was one that she had to get out in the air right now.

“Are you feeling better, Moserah?” The siren inquired softly, one hand gently caressing her girlfriend’s shoulder. 

“Did you – Do you think I was crazy to like Tyreen when we first started dating?” Moze asked nervously, hoping to throw off any suspicions that she still harbored feeling for their ‘neighbor,’ lying in a desperate attempt to emphasize that this crush was all in the past.

Amara closed her eyes, and chuckled. “I still don’t understand how you could develop a fondness for her in the first place, my love. I mean . . . Doesn’t she seem a bit, mouse-ish to you?” She chuckled. “I mean, the tattoos are kinda hot, but-”

“She’s three times your size!” The gunner guffawed. “How is that mouse-ish?! And I mean, even before she got fused with the destroyer, she’s always been taller than me! Everybody always just thinks she’s short because she was always next to her brother!”

“That is true. You are very small, my little soldier.” Amara giggled, pinching her girlfriend’s cheek. 

“Hey, no!” The soldier burst playfully. “If you say that around Zane then I’m never gonna hear the end of it!” Moze instantly shot up, flipping and pinning the taller woman against the bed.

“I’m not that short.” Moze replied, grumpily. “Anyways, Tyreen is tall for one thing, and she’s a siren, and -”

“That’s true.” Amara replied, planting a kiss on her girlfriend’s lips. “You do have a type.” She winked. “But I mean… Beyond her large, mouse-ish figure, I just don’t get it.” 

Moze forcibly pressed her lips to the siren’s. “She doesn’t look like a fucking mouse, dude! Now you’re getting off topic. Do you think I was crazy?” She asked, now proceeding to lay next to her. 

The smile on Amara’s face slowly began to dissipate as she interlaced their fingers together. The siren gazed deep into the shorter woman’s eyes and tried to collect her thoughts. “I think – I think that you are the kindest, most selfless woman I have ever met.” Amara paused. “And I think that that kindness and unselfish love you possess manifested on someone who was easily one of the worst of us. But I’m glad you overcame that, and I lack the words to describe how honored I am to call you mine.” Her demeanor instantly changed from one of pure seriousness to a giddy joy as she continued. “My little soldier.” 

Moze’s thoughts screamed in her head. Everything this siren was saying was wrong. She wasn’t kind, or selfless, in any capacity really. She had murdered civilians in the past, innocence. She had killed bandits and continued to kill bandits because it was always the simplest solution when it came to conflicts. She desperately wished that Amara’s words were true, perhaps she really was right. Maybe, in a weird way, it would explain her incessant guilt for almost everything she’d done in her past. It was because of her love for others that she had come to feel guilty for even harming bandits, for seeing Tyreen in pain, and for almost every single other harmful act she had ever committed in her life. She wanted to believe it, desperately, but no amount of kind words would ever make up for the hatred she had felt for herself. The feelings that her girlfriend had roused in her with her speech, however. Those were real. 

Moze gently began to pull herself closer to her girlfriend and nuzzled herself into the crook of her shoulder. The words didn’t negate the guilt, but the siren’s words had planted a seed of hope that maybe her true problem wasn’t caring too little but caring too much. Whether there was any truth in the matter was irrelevant, but for now, it would help her sleep. A nice nap before meeting with Tyreen was just what she needed. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It was a slow day at the bar, and Moxxi and Tyreen were using this time to get the siren “dolled up.” Even while working, living your life in a spaceship, let alone imprisonment, left much to be desired, and both women thought it would be a nice way to pass the time.

“Thanks for helping me with my makeup, Moxx.” Tyreen smiled, admiring herself in the compact mirror the barkeep had let her use. 

“Anytime, sugar.” Moxx, winked as she carefully finished applying the siren’s lipstick. “Honestly, I’ve really missed doing this. Elle and I had a falling out when she was growing up. It was all my fault really, and because of that I lost every chance to have nights like this with her.” She frowned, looking at her handiwork. “I mean, we made up, sure. You actually played a big part in that, confining the two of us on this ship, we sort of had to confront our pasts.” The barkeep smiled sadly. 

“What did you do?” Tyreen asked bluntly.

“Y’know, hon. Typically, when talking to other people, you try to be a little more tactful with your personal questions.” Moxxi replied in a tone that was practically maternal. 

“Fiiiiiiine. Moxxi, can I please ask what happened?” The siren groaned. “But if you don’t wanna talk about it then –l”

“Thank you, Tyreen.” The barkeep chuckled. “You have to be sensitive to people’s emotions... I can’t believe I’m saying this, but if you want to fit in here on the ship then you’re going to need to learn empathy.”

“I’m not an idiot, Moxxi, I know what empathy is. I, oh…” The siren frowned, cutting her own sentence short, guiltily looking down on the shorter woman. 

“I don’t know what you’ve been through or why you did all that you did… But Tyreen, honey. You need help.” The older woman frowned. 

The barkeep’s words infuriated Tyreen. How the fuck could this woman in what looked like clown makeup tell HER that she needed help? What could possibly be wrong with her? She was perfect, a goddess, the woman who. . . Tyreen’s thoughts were abrupted by the realization that amidst all her accomplishments laid that fact that she had killed her mother, that she had weaponized the neglect her brother had felt against Typhon and eventually gotten him killed on her own selfish crusade, and the fact that it was her idea to even start the COV in the first place. 

“I don’t need help. Could someone who needed help almost rule half the galaxy?! Could they -”

“Manage to go a day without breaking down into tears?” Moxxi replied gently, noticing the tears dripping down her face. “Do you know why I’m really helping you, Tyreen?” 

“Because you’re probably getting paid for -”

“Shut up, Tyreen!” The barkeep snapped, silencing the taller woman instantly. “I’m helping you because I see potential. Because despite everything you’ve done, I think you can change. You hurt a lot of people, and you changed the galaxy for the worst, but I know that you also have the power to fix the harm you’ve done, or at least offset most of it.” Moxxi sighed, pouring herself a shot and chugging the entire thing down instantly. “I ruined my relationship with my daughter, I spent half of my life running a coliseum, and I dated Handsome Jack. I have made a lot of mistakes, Tyreen. Is helping you going to be one of them?” She asked sternly, eyes piercing into the siren’s 

Tyreen gently shook her head, completely at a loss for words. “I – What do you want me to -”

“I want you to listen to me, Tyreen, because I am only trying to help you, do you get that?” Moxxi snapped, causing the siren to nod in affirmation. “You could have been one of the best vault hunters we’ve ever had, Tyreen. Had we only found you first.”

The siren winced, she wanted to listen to Moxxi, but her words were bullshit. “You would’ve let me join you guys even after hearing that I killed my own mother?” Tears now pouring down her face. 

“Oh, Tyreen.” Moxxi replied, trying to withhold judgment. “How could you-”

“It was just an accident!” Tyreen interjected, sobbing. “I was just a little girl! I didn’t know how to control my powers, and-” The siren was abruptly cut off by the embrace of the barkeep.

“Oh, hon.” Moxxi replied, still embracing the siren. “

Tyreen, who literally hadn’t hugged anyone in years, was shocked. She never showed much physical affection towards Troy, and she certainly never had any feelings of affection towards her intimate partners since they would all inevitably end up getting leeched. She wanted to be repulsed, but no matter how hard she tried, she needed this. Carefully drawing her arm around Moxxi, she did her best to hug back. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Moze awoke from her nap somehow managing to feel even more exhausted than before. Amara, however, was already awake and doing yoga in the center of their room. 

“Have a nice nap, sleepyhead?” Amara chuckled, entering into a pose that made Moze ache just looking at her. 

“Oh, god. Why do I feel sleepier AFTER the nap?” The gunner yawned. “Anways, Amara. I’m gonna go get those frozen rakks from Fl4k’s room and then visit Tyreen, ok?” She remarked, weary of what the siren’s response would be. 

“I think I finally understand what’s going on.” Amara replied, matter-of-factly, finishing up her stretch to face the shorter vault hunter. 

“You do? I uh-”

“You’re just feeling guilty, my Moserah.” She replied, kissing the gunner’s cheek. “For imprisoning someone. You have to see the pain Tyreen goes through every day being trapped here on this ship like a caged animal, and so you feel the need to improve her circumstances with your presence and food.” 

“Amara, no, I -”

“Oh, don’t be so humble, darling.” Amara replied, embracing the soldier. “Now go. Your mouse-friend awaits.” 

Moze, wanting to cry for deceiving someone as lovely as Amara, merely nodded and headed for Fl4k’s room. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As Moze approached the beastmaster’s room she couldn’t help but hear the muffled sound of some sort of dance music emanating from within, colored lights flashing in sync clearly noticeable under the closed door of the room. She apprehensively knocked on the door and called out to her friend to make sure they could hear her.

“Hey, uh, Fl4k, buddy? Everything ok in there?” The soldier asked nervously.

The door slowly opened, just enough that only the robot’s head could be seen sticking out from their room as the music and lights continued to blast from inside. “You want your rakks?” They asked flatly. 

“Yeah, I -” Her sentence quickly cut off by the slamming of her friend’s door. Moments later, the door reopened as Fl4k, quickly handed over the frozen rakks to Moze by their tails. “Y’know that’s a really catchy song. What’s a caramel dance?” The soldier asked trying to decipher the lyrics.

“Irrelevant. Have a good night, Moserah.” The robot said before slamming the door in her face.

“I, uh, bye.” Moze replied, completely confused over what she had just witnessed. Either way, these rakks were going to thaw soon if she didn’t hurry up, and she was anxious to see Tyreen. Maybe she’d know what song Fl4k was listening too.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Following her exhausting conversation with Moxxi, Tyreen agreed to be more cooperative with the woman. Partly because she knew she needed some sort of moral support dealing with life imprisonment, and partly because she had come to see the barkeep as an almost maternal figure, one that she desperately needed. 

Once her shift ended the siren made her way back to her room. She had always wanted to explore the rest of the ship, but never deviated from her path of heading either straight to Moxxi’s or the cargo bay, wishing to avoid the baleful stares of the residents, and the low ceilings of a ship that now felt like it was built for children. She had told herself that these people’s opinions didn’t matter, not to a god-queen, but something had triggered within her that made her nervous. She didn’t want to kill these people anymore, even if she could. They were here on this ship instead of their home planet as refugees, fleeing not from a local corporate war, or the spawning season of the megafauna abundant on many of the planets in this system, but from her. Maybe she did deserve the stares, maybe she did –

Tyreen’s thought process was cut short as she noticed Moze approaching the front door with what appeared to be a couple of rakks in hand. “Hey, vault hunter!” The siren called out playfully with a quick wave. 

“Hey, Tyreen.” The gunner smiled, noticing that the taller woman was wearing makeup for the first time in over half of a year. “Lookin’ good, dude!”

Moze’s words brought a flush to the siren’s face. “Thanks.” Tyreen replied, embarrassed at how uncharacteristically shy she was beginning to feel around the vault hunter. “You’re lookin’ like a little snack yourself.” She winked as she passed the soldier to open the door to her room. 

The two women entered the room, and stared at each other awkwardly for a few seconds, each trying to figure out what to say. The silence was inevitably broken by the siren taking note of the rakks in Moze’s hands. “Para mi?” 

“Huh? Oh, yeah.” The gunner chuckled nervously. “These are for you.” She replied, handing the frozen creatures to the prisoner, watching as Tyreen took both in her hand and proceeded to suck what little life remained in the beasts.

“Oh, I haven’t leeched in so fucking long! Thank you, Moze.” She sighed happily. “And you know, thank you for not thinking I’m a freak or anything” She paused, taking note of the shocked expression on the soldier’s face as she ate.

“Hey, no I get it. I’m honestly glad you’re just not doing this to people anymore.” Moze replied, watching as the siren lounged against the back wall of the room.

“Proud of me?” Tyreen teased, flashing a cheeky grin. 

“Are you fishing for compliments, Tyreen?” The soldier chuckled.

“New line of work, but the goddess still demands tribute.” The taller woman quipped. “Now where’s my offering?” 

The soldier chuckled, proceeding to take a seat on the floor a few feet away from the siren. “Tribute? Gees, y’know what, dude? I didn’t know ‘gods’ were so needy. Shouldn’t those rakks have been offering enough?”

“I dunno, vault hunter. Leeching’s good for the body.” She replied, gently tracing her curves. “But compliments are good for the soul. So… Are you really going to starve me of my soul food?” Tyreen asked, feigning sadness.

The soldier repressed a snicker. “Are you trying to guilt trip me?”

“Depends.” The taller woman responded, proceeding to lay on her stomach and resting her head on her hand. “Is it working?” 

“Fine, fine, fine. Spare me your pleading.” Moze remarked. “I’m proud of you.”

“See! Wasn’t that hard now was it?” Tyreen asked, practically beaming with joy.

It was impossible for the soldier not to smile as she stared into the siren’s bright blue eyes. For the first time since they had met, she could tell, Tyreen was actually happy. Regardless of whether this joy was fleeting, Moze was glad she was here to see it. 

“So, uh … You were supposed to tell me how big of a nerd you were back on Nekratofayo?” 

“Oh, here we go. Ok, soldier girl.” Tyreen replied playfully. “See, us smart people, we read books. We don’t eat them.” 

“Hey, watch it!” Moze chuckled, getting up to gently punch the younger woman on the shoulder. “For your information Iron Bear runs purely on books for fuel. It’s clean energy!” The gunner laughed. “’War and Peace’ had him running for months!”

Tyreen smiled, raising an eyebrow. “You know ‘War and Peace?’” She asked skeptically. 

“I know that one of the guys in my squad back in Vladof was an even bigger nerd than you were.” The shorter woman commented, sticking her tongue out. “And when he tried reading it to us when we were on tour back on Eden-5 I tossed his copy over a cliff. When I was done with it, they would’ve had to rename the book ‘War in Pieces.” The gunner cackled. 

“What happened to the squad being your family?” Tyreen asked seriously. 

“Ok, you know in just about any group, there’s always that guy.” Moze replied. “Well, Michael, the nerd was that guy in my squad. Fuck you, Michael!” Moze whooped. 

“What exactly did he -”

“He said that as the commander, I needed to smile more ‘to motivate the troops.’” Moze replied with disgust in her voice. “Along with a bunch of other stuff that’s not worth bringing up. That pretentious bitch.” 

“Oh, yep, that’ll do it.” The siren commented flatly. “Y’know, if I was in your squad back at Vladof, I totally would’ve killed him for you.”

“A corporately sponsored siren soldier? The galaxy hasn’t seen one of those for a while. That Steele commander that released the destroyer was . . .” Moze, bit her lip. “She was something.”

“Never heard of her. Was she -”

“Hot, dude.” Moze interjected.

“Really? She -”

“So fucking hot!” The gunner laughed. 

“You clearly have a type.” The siren chuckled, enjoying seeing her crush gushing over the former Atlas commander. 

“Yeah.” Moze replied, gazing deep into the taller woman’s eyes. A magnetic attraction beginning to form between the two women. “Yeah! Amara told me the same thing earlier!” She chuckled nervously, backing away from the siren. “Well, yeah. This was nice, uh, we’ll do this again another time?” The gunner asked, heading for the door, in shock over what could have transpired had she not caught herself. 

“That’d be … great.” Tyreen commented to herself, as she watched the soldier leave the room, awkwardly waving goodbye.The siren had very much appreciated both the snack and the company, but above all else she just wanted to know what the hell that exit was all about.


	10. Down on Nekrotafeyo

The following week had been rather uneventful. The entire crew had felt as if they were just playing through the motions of ship-life until one shocking morning. It had arrived with all the eloquence and grace of a trainwreck.

Amara and Moze both leapt out of bed, waking to the sound of a loud banging at their door. 

“You guys! Wake up!” Yelled Claptrap from the other side of the door. “Tannis wants you on the bridge!”

The two vault hunters quickly exchanged glances and quickly rushed to get dressed before heading to the bridge.

Minutes later the women had arrived at the bridge. Tannis, Zane, Fl4k, and Ava had surrounded the bridge’s central holographic terminal, looks of concern plastered on their faces. 

“Ah, finally! You’re awake!” Tannis burst. “Forgive the early wake up call, but we have a potential galactic threat developing as we speak.” 

“Oh, what else is new?” Zane asked dryly. “Just tell us what we need to kill so we can go back to sleep.” 

The scientist sighed before opening up a map of Nekrotafeyo on the projector. “I’ve been detecting high levels of seismic activity on Nekrotafeyo for the past month or so. Typically, I would have just attributed this to my lack of knowledge of the tectonic phenomena of the planet, until I realized that the earthquakes are happening every hour on the hour.”

“Well excuse me for interruptin’ class without raisin’ my hand, professor.” Zane commented, crossing his arms. “But if we can skip the science lesson and proceed to the part where we shoot something it would be greatly appreciated.” 

“Fine! Fine!” The scientist exclaimed, raising her hands defensively. “Forgive me for wanting to believe that the pursuit of knowledge was a universal personality trait-”

“The point is, Zane.” Ava interjected wearily. “Is that someone is drilling down on Nekrotafeyo and it’s not Maliwan.” 

“And you need us to stop whoever’s drilling? Right? Say no more.” The operative remarked, digistructing a rifle from his backpack, and reloading it. “We’ll put a stop to this before breakfast! Let’s go, team!”

“Not so fast!” The scientist barked. “Who’s to say that once you stop this operation someone doesn’t start it right back up after you leave? Drilling this long, this consistently means that either whatever our miners are trying to find is either really deep or very well shielded.” 

“In other words.” The blue haired siren cut in, concern clearly audible in her voice. “The Eridians buried something dangerous down there, and someone is trying to dig it up.”

Moze proceeded to listen to the conversation between her fellow vault hunters, all trying to discern what the best course of action would be, and what could possibly warrant over a month’s worth of drilling until she was suddenly struck with an epiphany, an epiphany she knew nobody would like.

“Um, guys?” Moze asked apprehensively.

“Yes, Moze?” Tannis replied. “You wish to add something to the conversation?” 

The soldier quickly glanced towards the eyes of all those in the group, interest arising in all of them, save for Ava who had turned to avoid making eye contact. 

“I don’t know what anyone could be looking for down there, but I think I might know someone who does.” Moze commented softly. 

“You holdin’ out on an old archeologist pal on us, girlie?!” Zane chuckled, walking over to slap Moze on the back. 

“No, not an archeologist. I -”

“No no no!” Ava burst. “I know where you’re going with this, Moze! Don’t you dare even think about it, I –”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“And that’s why I think I moved to Pandora.” A small, stout man replied, taking a drink of his Vercuvian ale. “Because I just followed my father’s example of running away from all my problems.” 

Tyreen carefully finished washing a glass, placing it back onto its proper shelf behind her. “Yeah, yeah, daddy issues. Those are tough, pal.” The siren responded. “I would’ve ran away from all that too. Oh wait.” She paused, staring down at the older man who had remained at the bar from the previous night. “I did run away.” She chuckled. 

The drunken man laughed. “To running away!” He remarked, raising his glass.

Before she could reply to the man’s toast, Tyreen noticed a large posse of vault hunters entering the bar. “Hi! Welcome to Tyreen’s!” She exclaimed obnoxiously, resulting in a nudge from Moxxi.

“We need your help, freak.” Ava remarked sternly. 

“Ouch, is that really the best you’ve got, champ?” The taller siren asked sarcastically. “And not even a please? Tsk tsk tsk, and I thought I was the one with bad manners.” 

“Someone’s drilling down on Nekrotafeyo, and we know you probably know what it is.” Ava replied shoving the drunken bar patron away.

“Come back soon! I hope your dad does too!” Tyreen burst with a wave as the man exited the bar. “Have some respect for my customers, blueberry.” Now glaring at the blue haired siren.

“Cut the shit, Tyreen. What’s down there?”

“Yeah, only one I like and am willing to talk to in this group is Moze. Hey, soldier girl!” She replied with a wink, now looking at the gunner.

“What did I do?!” Fl4k questioned.

“Uh, you shot me!” Tyreen barked. “Multiple times!”

“You had merged yourself with an alien god, hellbent on the enslavement of the entire universe, and most likely would have killed us all had Moserah not taken you down.” The robot replied flatly, their eye staring menacingly into the siren’s.

“Ok, fine, fair point. But, still, no. Go away.” The siren uttered, making shoo motions with her hands. “Goodbye, adiós, buh-bye now!” 

A blush proceeded to fill Moze’s cheek upon noticing that Amara had been staring at her the entire time.

“Come, everyone.” The Tiger of Partali remarked, ushering the other vault hunters out of the bar. “I’m sure Moze will inform us of everything once she’s done.”

Tyreen waited as everyone had exited the bar, leaving only her, the soldier, and Moxxi alone in the room. 

“Kay, who’s drilling for what now?” The taller woman asked.

Moze sighed before taking a seat at the bar. “Someone down on your homeworld has been drilling for … something.” 

“Drilling?” The siren asked quizzically. “There’s nothing buried down there except, oh!” The siren laughed.

“Oh?” 

Tyreen reached for a bottle of wine, effortlessly popping the cork off with her thumb and proceeded to chug the entire thing down in one gulp. “There’s a vault down there.”

“What?!” Moze choked.

“Yup. Long story short, mom and dad used some Eridian tech to magnetically contain an entire vault then sunk the thing so deep into the sand nobody would ever be able to get to it. Guess they fucked up the math on that one pretty hard, huh, Moxx?” She laughed, gently nudging the barkeep. 

“So, if Typhon and Leda had to bury that thing, I take it the vault monster in there must be -”

“Fucking unstoppable.” Tyreen chuckled with delight. “Yeah, they told Troy and I the story all the time growing up. Celebrated the victory of trapping that thing, but if they really had won that fight then they would’ve just killed the damned thing.”

“Shit! I need to go then. Thank you, Tyreen.” Moze replied, turning to leave the bar. Before she could leave, however, she was abruptly stopped by a hand grabbing her on the shoulder.

“Moze, wait!” Tyreen burst, unable to mask the serious tone in her voice. 

“Uh... Ty?” Moze questioned, trying to suppress the blush she felt rising in her cheeks. 

Tyreen abruptly released the soldier from her grasp and paused. “The thing can generate an EMP, Moze. Your mech, your robot friend, Wayne –”

“It’s Zane.” 

“Yeah, Zane, whatever. You can’t take them with you, Moze.” No trace of humor in her voice.

“I, um. Thanks for the tip, Tyreen.”

The taller woman smiled softly, eyes refusing to withdraw from the soldier’s. “You’re a bonafide badass, soldier girl. You managed to stop me, after all.” She chuckled. “But be careful, down there, ok?”

“I will.” The gunner replied, staring deep into the siren’s radiant blue eyes. “I’ll definitely need a drink when this day is all over. I’ll see you later!” She added with a wave, leaving Moxxi and the siren alone in the bar.

The barkeep flashed a cheeky grin towards Tyreen but before she could even open her mouth she was met with a glare.

“Oh, shut up.” The siren spat.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After a quick jump to hyperspace, Amara, Moze, and Ava touched down on Nekrotafeyo. The hot desert air surrounding the team like a second skin. 

“Hard to believe your girlfriend grew up on a shithole like this.” Ava spat, as the group drudged their way over a sand dune. 

“I beg your pardon?” Amara replied sternly, before Moze could utter a response.

The blue haired siren smiled sinisterly, glaring at the gunner as she spoke. “Oh, sorry, Amara. I just… Don’t you think it’s a little weird that Moze is the only person Tyreen will speak too?”

“Of course, I know why this is. My Moserah saved that criminal’s life. She is grateful, and rightfully so.” The muscular siren smiled, now gently placing her hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder.”

“Oh, good. So, the feeling is mutual then?” Ava laughed.

“You shut your fucking mouth right now!” Moze snapped, stopping to grab the young siren’s arm.

“What are you talking about, Ava?” Amara questioned reluctantly. 

“Oh, so Vladof here didn’t tell you about her big ol’ crush on - ”

Before the argument could continue any further the women were all interrupted by a hail of gunfire headed in their direction. 

“Take cover!” Moze roared. The vault hunters all took cover behind the sand dune, searching for their assailants. “There! 6 o clock!” The gunner called out, quickly watching as Ava phaselocked the shooter. 

The trio ran to retrieve the weapon that had fallen from the stranger’s hands only to watch in horror as a large tentacle had forcibly ripped the attacker from the phaselock and dragged it away presumably down to the vault.

“Holy shit.” Ava exclaimed. “We’re too late.”

A loud roar shook the ground, causing the team to quickly lose their balance. 

“We need to kill that thing, now!” Moze yelled, charging over the dune, but before she could even reach the top of the dune she fell to the ground, her leg had suddenly snatched by a large, snake like tentacle emerging from the sand. “Amara!” The gunner screamed, trying to shoot the tentacle firmly latched onto her leg. “I – ” And just as quickly as she was attacked, she was gone. Her entire body effortless pulled deep into the sand. 

“Moserah!” Amara screamed, rushing to the spot the soldier had stood in just seconds earlier. 

“Amara, wait!” Ava shouted, but it was too late. The Tiger of Partali’s body had disappeared as quickly as her girlfriend’s had. Ava was on her own.

The young siren froze, an eerie silence now permeated throughout the landscape. Filled with terror and shame, Ava ran back for their ship. All she could do now was ask for help.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Back on Sanctuary, Ava informed Tannis, Fl4k, and Zane of all that had transpired down on the planet’s surface. 

“Well ye need to let us go down there! We’ve got to save our friends!” The operative exclaimed. 

“That’s not going to happen, Zane.” Your cybernetics, half of your tech will be rendered useless in combat with this beast! Fl4k would be dead the second they laid eyes upon the creature!” Tannis remarked. “If Amara, who is a siren, couldn’t even put up a fight then you will be essentially useless.” 

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” The Irishman quipped sardonically. 

“Oh, I am more than happy to oblige, Mr. Flynt. You truly are a worthless slab of meat.” The scientist smiled.

“Tannis, I swear I -”

“Guys!” Ava shouted desperately. “How do we stop this monster?!”

Silence now filled the room, the true weight of the situation bearing down upon the remaining vault hunters, the weight of all that was at stake looming like a shadow in the corner of the room. A silence, that was quickly broken, by the best friend of Sanctuary’s local gunner.

“To stop one monster.” Fl4k commented calmly. “You must release another one.” 

“Oh, you’ve gotta be shitting me!” Ava burst, knowing full well what had to be done. Every second now separating Amara and Moze from what could be life or death. But deep down, she knew what had to be done, and without further comment she made her way to Moxxi’s bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all! Sorry it's been so long, but I've been swamped with dealing with the capstone class for my school, and it's been seriously dampening both my available free time and my creativity, but the good news is that I'm done now! Whoo! Here's to small victories, and with that I should be updating back to my regularly programmed schedule. 
> 
> I hope all of you guys have been safe and well. 
> 
> Anyways, here's the latest chapter. Enjoy!


	11. The Rescue Op and the Breakup

Ava made her way to the bar as quickly as she could, her anger rising with every step she took. An anger that was manifested towards Tyreen, the woman who’s brother had killed her mentor and surrogate older sister, towards Moze, for saving this murderer’s life, and at herself, for being too weak to stop Tyreen, too weak to stop Troy, and too weak to even stop this vault monster on her own. 

Upon entering the bar, however, Ava noticed something horrendous. Tyreen was gone. “Moxxi!” The siren shouted. “Where is Tyreen?!”

Moxxi, who sat cross-legged across the countertop of the bar, simply shrugged nonchalantly and smiled. “She’s on break, sugar. Let her have some time to stretch her legs. It’s been a busy day, and -”

“You let a murderer loose on my ship?!” The siren exclaimed, her anger now reaching a boiling point. 

“She’s making progress, hon. You’d know that if you ever left your room.” The barkeep replied calmly. “I’m actually proud of her.” 

“I don’t care how you feel about her!” Ava spat. “I need… I need her help.” Desperation and disappointment now seeping into her voice. 

“Ask of the goddess, and thou shalt receive.” Tyreen chuckled, now ducking to reenter the bar. 

“This isn’t a joke, Tyreen.” The shorter siren scoffed, folding her arms. “Amara and Moze were kidnapped by the vault monster down on -”

“Moxxi!” Tyreen exclaimed, eyes turning towards the barkeep. 

“I can hold down the fort just fine, Ty. I’ve been doing this almost half my life. Go save our girls.” Moxxi winked, failing to suppress the concern in her voice.

The two sirens glared at each other, both not-so-secretly wishing to kill the other right there on the spot, but they had to keep their emotions in check. Their friends lives were on the line. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The two sirens trudged through the desert sand. It was now nighttime on Nekrotafeyo, and the only source of light they had to guide them was the eerie glow of ancient Eridian artifacts and structures looming in the distance, and occasionally peeking out of the sand nearby. 

“Look, I get that you hate me, but can you please say something? You’re creeping me out.” Tyreen muttered, prompting the shorter siren to freeze in her tracks.

“Creeping you out? You creep me out!” Ava laughed cruelly. “Y’know, I never believed in karma, but seeing you here now. Arm lost to a giant tentacle monster, family dead, you’re a giant fucking freak now! It’s like after you got your brother killed you just inherited all of his baggage too, it’s poetic. I -”

“Don’t you dare fucking bring Troy into this!” Tyreen burst, looming over the younger siren. 

“Or what?! You’ll kill me? No! You’ll leech me! Or both!” Ava laughed angrily. “The same way your brother killed Maya! My Maya! She was like my sister, and you fucking!- You – I – I lost everything because of you, and your stupid fucking brother.” She muttered, now sobbing. 

“We were gonna let you two live! You’re the one who escalated the situation, you useless idiot!” Tyreen spat. “Hell, we let you go! Just appreciate how lucky you are to even be here having this conversation in the first place!”

“Oh-ho-ho! There we go!” Ava exclaimed angrily as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “Everyone’s saying how ‘good’ you are now! But I see the real you clear as day! Just waiting to kill everyone I give a shit about!” 

“I’m here to save someone you care about! … Someone I care about… and she needs us.” Tyreen paused, staring out into the distance. “So, come on, vault thief. Moze needs us.”

Ava grimaced at the older siren, and the two continued on their trek towards the last known coordinates of the gunner and her girlfriend. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Moze awoke to the sudden realization that yes, she was in fact, still alive. Both she and Amara had been dragged down into what was presumably the large makeshift cage Typhon and Leda had used all those years ago in an attempt to contain the monster within. A monster that was nowhere to be found.

“The beast is probably saving us for dessert after eating everyone who released it.” Amara joked nervously. 

“Here’s hoping it stays full.” Moze responded gravely, searching for a way out. 

The women were trapped in what appeared to be an enormous, empty cube. The only object within being that of the enormous arched vault that all vault hunters had become accustomed to seeing. Overhead, a large hole had been punctured through the top of the cube, stars visible from within. Unfortunately, due to the massive scale of the cube, and with no objects to climb, there was no way to climb out.

“I don’t know how Typhon managed to get an entire vault in here, but it’s pretty damned incredible.” Moze remarked, taking a seat next to her girlfriend against the wall of the cube. 

“Yes. The Calypso’s truly were… are… something. Aren’t they, Moserah?” Amara inquired seriously. 

“Yup.” The gunner’s voice cracked. “I -”

“Why did Ava bring up your former crush on Tyreen?” The siren asked, no trace of humor in her voice.

“She’s just… She’s mad she’s still alive, y’know? She -”

“Do you still harbor feelings for the Calypso?” Amara asked somberly. “Don’t joke with me, Moserah. I’m serious.”

The soldier gulped. Realizing that she had to tell her girlfriend the truth, and also realizing that she might not have a girlfriend for much longer if she was truly honest about her feelings. Her train of thought was interrupted by the siren’s hand slowly waving in front of her face.

“Moze? Hello?” Her girlfriend asked nervously. 

“I like her, yeah. Yes. I’m so fucking sorry, Amara, I-”

“But you still like me? You… love me?” The siren interjected. Her eyes locked onto her girlfriend’s.

Moze, taking Amara’s hands into her own, couldn’t lie. She had caused enough pain, and to continue building upon this lie would already make a painful situation even worse. As tears began to swell in both of their eyes, Amara had received her answer. The siren withdrew her hands and looked towards the stars visible through the hole in the ceiling. 

“I’m so sorry, Amara…”

“Let’s continue this discussion another time, alright, Moze?” The siren replied flatly.

Unable to even bring herself to speak, the soldier nodded and proceeded to stare up towards the stars. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The sirens continued their walk in silence until the quiet was once again broken by the older of the two.

“It was an accident, y’know.” Tyreen muttered softly, still keeping her eyes on the horizon.

“What?” Ava asked wearily.

“Your friend. What happened… It was an accident. Troy didn’t even know he could leech from other sirens.” Tyreen sighed. “That night, he told me he didn’t even mean to hurt her, he just wanted her powers. He just got so lost in absorbing all that power that -”

“That he accidentally killed my friend?” Ava questioned bitterly.

“Do you have any fucking idea how hard it is living like this?” Tyreen replied, trying to maintain her composure. “This hunger, this urge to leech, and consume. You want me to be fucking honest with you, Ava? It’s a fucking curse. You leech, you absorb that power, and you know what happens as soon as you’re done? You wanna leech again. So, yeah, Ava. Your friend died, and it was a fucking accident. You know how I know? Because my mom died exactly the same fucking way.” Tyreen spat.

The two continued their walk, both absorbing all that was being thrown out into the air.

“So… All that shit you said about killing your mom… It really was - ”

“I was just a little girl, Ava. I loved her. I didn’t even know what I was doing at first. I just grabbed onto her arm, and then the next thing I knew I was just filled with this … this power.” Tyreen commented, staring at her remaining arm as she walked. “And you know what the worst fucking part is? Yeah, I was devastated at what I did, but right there and then, Ava. Right fucking there and then? I wanted more.” She choked. 

“That’s – pretty fucked up, Tyreen.” Ava chuckled sadly. 

The older siren smiled somberly and then turned to face the blue haired girl. “I’m sorry, really.” 

Ava, lost for words, tried to say … something, but before she could she was interrupted by the now black-haired siren.

“We’re here.” 

The two sirens stood atop a dune, staring down at an enormous sinkhole. It all funneled down into a large hole that Ava presumed to be the cage in which the vault monster had escaped from.

“Uh, ok. What’s our plan?” Ava asked nervously. 

“First thing’s first, blue. We make sure, Moze is ok.” 

“And Amara.” Ava added softly.

“Yeah, fine, sure, whatever.” Tyreen scoffed. “Now come on!” And with that the two women proceeded to slide down the dune, stopping before they could fall straight down into the cube. 

“Hold on.” Ava remarked gently, simultaneously phaselocking both herself and Tyreen down the hole and into the makeshift prison.

Down in the cube, Amara and Moze both stared in shock, watching as two phaselock bubbles slowly drifted down to the floor revealing that both Tyreen and Ava had come to rescue them. 

“Sup?” Tyreen winked. “Why the long faces? Your goddess is-”

“Shut up!” Amara barked. “Do you hear that?” 

The four women listened intently, only to realize that massive amounts of sand had begun to pour down from the puncture above into the cube. 

“The beast is coming down!” Amara warned.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Draining down into the cube, a large, purple, octopus-like behemoth dropped down into the cube. It was a form Tannis would later catalog as, a supple version of the destroyer that Lilith and her team had stopped so many years ago. 

“Guys! Battle plan?” Ava panicked.

“Just shoot it!” The gunner shouted, as both she, Ava, and Amara digistructed their rifles from their backpacks, firing at the beast.

“Alright, that’s cool!” Tyreen shouted. “I’ll just sit here, I guess.” Quickly noticing that an enormous tentacle had proceeded to wrap around her entire torso, dragging her towards the giant toothed maw of the monster.

Another tentacle swooped across the ground causing Moze to jump and trip while simultaneously flinging Amara across the room, the siren’s head loudly thudding against the steel wall, incapacitating her. 

Ava phaselocked a single tentacle in place, realizing how futile this fight was. Shame began to fill her thoughts, knowing full well how much better Maya would have been faring in this situation if she were to still be alive. 

Moze rose to her feet, reloading her weapon only to hear the sound of laughter, Tyreen’s.

“Oh, all this power!” The siren laughed diabolically, her hand now digging into the vault monster’s flesh, slowly proceeding to absorb its life force. 

The creature had turned all of its tentacles towards Tyreen, but it was too late. Each appendage slowly began losing strength, desperately trying to subdue the siren who had now taken the offensive, but try as it might, the leeching was too much, and the battle had ended just as quickly as it had begun. The remains of the creature slowly began to turn to dust, until all that remained in the enormous prison were the four women.

“Now, that thing with the destroyer… that was a bust.” Tyreen laughed, her eyes burning with a bright eridium glow. “But this? This is gonna change everything.” She grinned, turning to locate Moze. 

Tyreen had expected a look of terror or anger but was instead only met with a look of disappointment. And it was at this moment, the siren realized, that she would have to make a choice. The power that now surged through her veins was more than enough to overwhelm the two other sirens in the room and Moze. She could defeat these vault hunters easily, escape the cube, and continue her reign of terror across the universe; or she could spend the remainder of her life in a prison, a prison that was now starting to feel more like a home than any that she’d ever had before. A life with Moxxi and Moze, platonic or otherwise, was more than she deserved after all she had done, and it was suddenly worth more to her now than all of the stars in the galaxies. 

Calming down after the adrenaline rush of power, the eridium pumped siren smiled softly and proceeded to kneel next to the gunner who was now cradling the incapacitated Amara in her arms. “Moxxi’s gonna kill me if I don’t make it to my shift tomorrow. Can you pick up your stupid girlfriend so we can get out of here?” 

The gunner’s look of disappointment slowly turned to one of concern. “Yeah.” Moze replied, softly. “But… Are you ok? Your eyes, they – ”

“I’ll be ok, soldier girl.” The siren smiled, turning only to find Ava desperately searching throughout the room for a way out. 

“How the hell do we get out of here?” The young siren exclaimed. Watching Tyreen slowly rise to her feet. 

“My old man might have been a shitty father.” The former cult leader spat, as she slowly searched the room with her eyes. “But he knew his shit when it came to Eridian tech.” Quickly finding what she was looking for, the siren made her way to a panel and removed it from the wall, revealing for what appeared to be a large button, and clicked it. “It's genetically locked to my family’s DNA." Tyreen remarked calmly. "Nobody gets in or out except us. If I wasn’t around you guys would’ve been so screwed.” 

The entire room slowly began to shake, rising from the pit it had sunk into until the entire cube rested completely above the ground. Once it settled, the cube’s walls slowly began to dematerialize, leaving the entire team back on the surface. 

“Moxxi said I’d be a good vault hunter.” The bartender winked, leaving both Ava and Moze behind to unpack all that had just transpired. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“And that!” Tyreen exclaimed. “Is how I single handedly, no pun intended, saved all of your asses again. You’re welcome!” 

“You do realize you can’t work again until that glow fades from your eyes, right?” Moxxi sighed. “You already scare most of the patrons off. This isn’t going to help at all.” 

“Oh, come on!” Tyreen laughed. “I’m glowing!” 

The barkeep rubbed her temples, staring out the bar where Moze and Amara appeared to be in the middle of a very serious discussion.

“Why would you wait this long to tell me how you really felt?” Amara questioned disappointedly.

Moze tried to find the right words, desperately searching for an explanation not only for Amara’s sake, but for her own. Falling short of an explanation she shrugged hopelessly, feeling a bitter tear of regret and remorse drip down her cheek.

Amara tilted her head, resisting the urge to wipe the tear away, and frowned. “Zane and I are going to head back down to the planet. Someone has knowledge of the vaults, and they have to be stopped. When our investigation is done, I need to get out of here, clear my head.” The siren sighed. “Maybe, I’ll head to Pandora.”

“Yeah, space… I get it, I -”

“When I get back from Nekrotafeyo later please have all your belongings removed from my room.” The taller woman interrupted sternly, proceeding to head to the bar. 

Watching as her former girlfriend had walked away, the gunner leaned back against the wall, and tried not to weep. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“What’s up, siren-sister?!” Tyreen burst, watching as Amara had entered the bar. “Here to thank me for saving your life?!”

“You watch it, Calypso.” The shorter siren warned sternly. 

“I’m sorry? Come again now?” The siren inquired testily, prompting Moxxi to gently place her hand on the taller woman’s back.

“Moserah. If you hurt her in any way, I swear I’ll-”

“Whoah! Whoah!” Tyreen laughed. “Take it easy! I like Moze.”

Amara glared at the bartender, trying to remain unfazed by the ethereal glow of her eyes, knowing full well that the power of a vault monster was still coursing through her veins. “I know.” 

“Understood, tiger.” Tyreen smiled, now turning to Moxxi. “You hear this? I save her life, and this is the thanks I get. Unbelievable.” 

“You want to be a good person? Then get used to this. Justice never comes easy, and it’s not always a thankful job.” Amara scowled, leaving the bar.

Tyreen proceeded to make blah blah gestures with her hand, rolling her eyes as the siren left. “Geez, get a load of this bitch.” 

“She’s right, sugar.” The barkeep commented calmly. “People hate you.”

“I know, I know. Everyone’s jealous of the god-queen.” 

“No, Tyreen, honey. I’m serious.” Moxxi replied, gently placing a hand on the woman’s back.

“I get it, I get it! How many times are we gonna have this talk, Moxx?” The siren burst exasperatedly. 

“No, I mean – Amara’s right. From here on out you need to remember that doing the right thing isn’t always easy, even for vault hunters. You’re doing a good job so far, hon, but this road never ends.”

“Ugh, alright, mom.” The younger woman replied, rolling her eyes, quickly noticing a woman sobbing in the hallway. “Hey, Moxx! Look at that loser!” Tyreen laughed.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but that ‘loser’ you’re referring to is Moze.”

“No, shit?” The siren panicked, leaning over the counter trying to get a closer look.

“I think I know what’s happened here, but would you care to go see what’s wrong?” Moxxi replied, hopping to take a seat atop the counter. 

“Yeah, uh, I’ll be back later.” Tyreen commented, quickly making an exit to see what was wrong with Moze.

“You’ll be back when you don’t look like you just swallowed a lava lamp!” 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Ma’am, we’re gonna need you to relocate.” Tyreen said, staring down at the soldier who had her face buried in her hands.” You’re depressing all the customers.” She chuckled, desperately failing to sound professional.

“You’re such an asshole, dude.” Moze sniffled, wiping tears from her eyes. “Just, fuck off for five minutes, alright?”

The siren stared at the woman below, realizing how truly emotionally stunted she had become over the course of her life. Weakness was not an emotion you could show a legion of bandits, nor the board of directors at Maliwan, and definitely not facing off against a vault monster, and so watching someone so blatantly lost in these emotions was a foreign experience to her. But she knew if she ever wished to truly enter into this soldier’s life as more than a liability, now was her chance. 

With a soft sigh the siren closed her eyes, drawing her arm around Moze in a gentle embrace. “I can’t do that – that thing where I make you feel all better and shit.” She remarked softly. “But if you want me to kill whoever hurt you, I could totally go for a snack right now.” 

Stunned at the display of affection from the former self-proclaimed goddess, and desperate for a form of comfort, the gunner wrapped both of her arms around the taller woman. “No, killing.” Moze smiled through her tears. “Just help me move my shit out of Amara’s room?” 

“Fine by me.” Tyreen smiled. “But I’m charging by the second.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“So, I take it that anything that isn’t purple belongs to you, right?” Tyreen laughed, taking a glance around Amara’s room.

“Amara definitely has an aesthetic, that’s for sure.” The gunner smiled sadly, packing clothes into a cardboard box. 

“I still don’t see why you’re all bummed out. You could do way better than her.” The siren scoffed, trying to hide her pleasure in Moze’s breakup. 

“No.” The soldier frowned. “I really couldn’t.”

“Oh, bullshit. You stopped me, a literal goddess. Who wouldn’t want to hit that?” Tyreen laughed, realizing that she was now beginning to blush.

“A literal goddess, who is helping me move boxes after a breakup? Yeah, alright.” Moze chuckled softly. “I’ve gotta admit, the glowing eye thing is kind of freaking me out. Usually anything glowing like that is trying to kill me and is protecting a room full of treasure.”

In most cases, other people’s opinions were irrelevant to Tyreen. What were the thoughts of chattering animals to a god queen? But Moze wasn’t just some sycophantic bandit, nor any of the other mouth breathers aboard this ship, this was Moze. This was the same woman who had defeated her at the pinnacle of her power, who had conquered legions of enemies and monsters, and the woman who had saved her life. Unable to mask her insecurity, the siren inquired further. 

“You – you don’t like the eye glow? It’ll – it’ll go away soon. It always does, it’s just the eridium, I -”

“No, no! It’s fine!” Moze interjected quickly, flabbergasted that the siren could even feel insecurities. “If anyone could pull it off it would be you, anyways.” She continued, turning to hide the redness now rising in her cheeks.

“I, uh, good. Yeah!” Tyreen fumbled. “I mean of course you like it, who wouldn’t, right?” 

“Yeah, I – shit!” The soldier exclaimed, accidentally dropping a box. A familiar voice now arising from within it.

“What the fuck was that?” The taller woman asked curiously. “Is someone in there?!”

“No!” Moze panicked, now desperately trying to stop Tyreen from opening the container. “Don’t open it, it’s -”

“You little gun-slut” Purred a voice from within the box, causing the siren to laugh hysterically.

“Tyreen, I swear! If you open that box, I’ll -” But before she could finish her sentence she watched in horror as the siren pulled a small orange pistol from the container. The very same pistol that Moze had received as a gift for selling out on a mission to Tyreen over a year ago.

“Is this the Sellout?!” Tyreen laughed hysterically. “Hon, if you wanted me to insult you, all you had to do was ask.” 

“I – I was low on weaponry!” Moze lied, stumbling over her words. “I needed something for close range targets and -”

“Bitch, bitch, bitch, biiiiiitch!” The gun interrupted from Tyreen’s fingertips, prompting her to laugh again.

“Well… If you wanted to hear my voice in person I’m here now.” The bartender blushed. 

“Let’s just! Let’s forget this ever happened!” Moze laughed nervously. 

The taller woman smiled and raised an eyebrow. “Whatever you say, soldier girl, whatever you say.” 

The two women continued to pack until they were interrupted by a transmission from Moze’s ECHO device. 

“Moze!” Amara’s voice exclaimed sternly.

“Yeah, we’re almost done packing, I -”

“We’ll worry about that later! The muscular siren interrupted. “Zane and I discovered a small outpost here. Whoever was stationed here left all their equipment, and – and Zane decrypted a transmission.” 

“Alright, pretty standard stuff.” Moze replied calmly. “Who’s it from?”

“It’s from one Rhys Strongfork.”

"Oh! Betrayal!" Tyreen laughed, slapping her hand against the side of her hip. 

Moze gulped, and desperately tried to hope otherwise. "We'll find out soon enough." She replied gravely. "We'll find out soon enough."


	12. Atlas

It was once said that one of the most important personality traits to possess in order to live a happy life was the ability to learn to laugh at yourself. Tyreen Calypso, however, had learned that it was far more enjoyable, however, to focus this laughter not towards yourself, but towards other’s pain, and unfortunately for Moze, she was now the target of the siren’s laughter.

“We’ll find out soon enough.” Tyreen mocked the soldier, trying to deepen her voice to match that of her crush. “Really? Really?” 

“Oh, shut up, dude.” Moze laughed, pushing the siren’s shoulder. “I was just trying to be dramatic.”

The taller woman chuckled, picking up one of Moze’s boxes. “Which one of your little friends was this Rhys Fork guy anyways? He was the weirdo who never wore a shirt, right?” 

The gunner grunted as she lifted a heavy box. “What? No!” She exclaimed, making her way for the door. “Rhys Strongfork is the CEO of Atlas. Where have you been?” 

“Space prison.” The siren joked dryly. 

The two women carefully placed Moze’s belongings inside the lounge that connected all of the vault hunter’s quarters and took a seat. The vault hunter threw herself on the old couch directly centered in the room while Tyreen lounged on the floor.

“Don’t guilt trip me, dude.” The gunner grinned. “Rhys has been CEO for a few years now. Come on! How don’t you know or remember him? He had Handsome Jack in his brain!” 

“Handsome Who now?” Tyreen laughed. “If you haven’t noticed I’m not into politics, soldier girl.” 

Moze aggressively face palmed, deeply sighing as she wondered how she had managed to develop feelings for this woman. “How do you not know who Handsome Jack is?! Seriously?!” The gunner laughed with disbelief. 

“I had people to leech and stars to consume, Mozie” The siren winked. “Do you really think I would care about some has been?”

“This is serious, dude!” Moze burst, now glancing around the room to make sure there were no potential eavesdroppers nearby. “Look, Rhys owns a company! Atlas isn’t as strong as they used to be back in the day, but waging war on any military force is – ”

“Boring.” The siren interjected with a yawn. “You’ve got me on your side now, superfan. Who’s gonna stop us?”

“Uh, first of all, you’re still technically on house arrest. Secondly, the literal hordes of Atlas troop-”

“Appetizers!” 

“Don’t bite off more than you can chew.” Moze quipped. “You’d still have to deal with Atlas mechs.”

“Like eating lobsters! They’ve got a hard shell, but you crack that baby open and you’ve got a delicious treat inside.”

“Ok, smartass. What about their fucking spaceships? Have fun with your ‘lobsters’ when they’re firing at you from orbit.”

“I’ll shoot em down with my laser eyes!” Tyreen laughed, fluttering her eyes. “Oh wait, I lost those before you locked me up in here. Thanks, vault thief.” She continued, her tone losing its whimsicality.

“You’re telling me you miss literally becoming the appendage of an Eridian God?” Moze asked, also losing her humorous tone. 

The siren’s thoughts lingered toward her time merged with the destroyer. The initial rush of power, of accomplishment, of hunger. The desire to consume all the stars in the galaxy was no longer just a dream, something to tell the legions of her followers to keep them both in a state of loyalty and awe, it was actually possible. Or it would’ve been, had it not been for the fact that with every passing second, her mergence has become less and less symbiotic, her very consciousness slowly beginning to dissipate into the destroyer’s. The truth of the matter was that even in her defeat, her life’s goals and aspirations becoming perverted and ultimately crushed, she was being saved. 

Tyreen sighed and shook her head. “Look, vault hunter. Point is, nobody’s fucking with us anymore! Think of it! If it wasn’t for you, I woulda won. So, with the two of us working together? See what I’m getting at?” She smiled, nudging the shorter woman playfully. 

“House. Arrest.” Moze replied sternly, turning to look into Tyreen’s still eridium filled eyes.

“Look at me, soldier girl! Moxxi won’t let me anywhere near the bar until this shit wears off.” The siren barked, gesticulating towards her face. “I’m gonna be locked up in my room anyways, nobody’ll notice if I slip out for a quick mission or two with you! C’mon!”

“We’re gonna have to go to Promethea, Tyreen. The corporate takeover is over so the war is over. EVERYONE is going to notice you! This isn’t up for debate – look – we’ll discuss this in – shit!” The soldier suddenly burst.

“We’ll discuss this in… shit?” The siren asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“I don’t have a room anymore.” Moze chuckled nervously. “I can’t just leave all my shit in the hallway! Where the hell am I gonna put all my-”

“You can stay with me.” Tyreen interjected, feigning disinterest. 

“Let me guess.” The gunner scoffed. “The catch is, I can’t get my room back unless I take you out?” 

“Old me would definitely blackmail you, but god queen 2.0 is a far more generous, and you can have the pleasure of staying with me whether you decide to let me go out and party or not.” The siren smiled, making her way to open up the door to her room. “C’mon, vault thief! For old time’s sake?” 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Minutes later the women finished unpacking Moze’s belonging back into what would now be their shared room. It was late into the ship’s "night cycle", and the roommates had slipped into their pajamas. Pajamas that had caused Tyreen to turn a shade of red so bright, color theorists would have to name it.

“Fucking – shit – wow!” The siren blushed, trying with all her might not to stare at Moze, who was now clothed in a black pair of sweats, and a white off-the-shoulder crop top that had given a generous view of the vault hunter’s toned stomach. the Vladof star easily visible near her navel. 

“What?” The soldier asked self-consciously, her own cheeks now turning a bright shade of red as she began to examine her own body.

“No! Nothing! It’s just – ” Tyreen found herself completely unable to formulate a sentence, lost in the sight of Moze’s body which was, for the first time, unobscured by armor, Vladof fatigues, or a baggy pair of pajamas. “Looking good, vault hunter!” She burst, gently poking the soldier’s stomach. 

“Thanks.” Moze replied quickly, turning to hop into her bunk, desperately trying not to reveal how flustered she had become. “We should probably – uh – turn in early. We’re gonna have to head to Promethea first thing in the morning, and -”

“WE’RE heading to Promethea first thing in the morning?” Tyreen inquired playfully, making herself comfortable on the pile of blankets she had used as a bed these past months.

“You know what I mean, Ty.” The soldier yawned, flipping a switch that she had personally installed into her bunk as a way of avoiding the pain of having to get out of a comfortable position in bed to turn off the lights. “If you’re so worried about being bored without work then I think I have a plan you might like. I’ll show you in the morning.”

While working for Moxxi had provided Tyreen with a daily schedule, an unexpected maternal figure, and what was literally an end to her time in solitary confinement, it had not taken away the pain of nights alone with her thoughts. Having Moze back in her room, however, alleviated much of the discourse that would typically stir in her brain at a time like this. 

“Sounds good to me. Goodnight, vault hunter. Now you won’t have to worry about missing me anymore.” The siren smiled, closing her eyes, still in disbelief at how drastically her life had changed.

“Sure, whatever, man. Goodnight.” Moze whispered, also shutting her eyes. She knew she should have been heartbroken over all that had recently transpired, she knew she would never have a better relationship than the one she had with Amara, but for some reason, deep deep down, she was genuinely glad to be back with Tyreen.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tyreen awoke to the sight of Moze making some sort of modification to her helmet, sparks flying as the gunner welded. Still garbed in the most incredible pair of pajamas she had seen in her life, the siren desperately tried not to stare while she waited for her roommate to finish her work.

Moze slowly turned, helmet in hand, to realize that yes, Tyreen was in fact awake. “Here you go, sleepy head! Catch!” The soldier burst as she tossed the helmet. 

The siren quickly caught the helmet and began rolling it in between her thumb and index finger, trying to discern exactly what she was supposed to be looking at. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but this probably isn’t going to fit.” Tyreen quipped sarcastically.

“No, look at it.” Moze replied, placing her hands on her hips. “Notice anything different?” 

The taller woman stared at the helmet for a few seconds, and still wasn’t able to see any drastic changes made. “The helmet – it’s – you’re not wearing it for once!”

“No, dude!” The gunner scoffed, snatching the helmet from her roommate’s hand. “Look! Beneath the light, see? I installed a camera and it’s linked to -” Moze slowly pulled out an ECHO device from one of the drawers of the table. “This! Since you’re locked in here until you stop glowing, I figure you can watch our mission down on Promethea while you chill in here. It’s even connected to my comms so we can talk in real time.” 

Tyreen, delighted that Moze had taken the time to care for her amidst what could arise to become a potential interplanetary conspiracy couldn’t help but blush. “Thanks, soldier girl! Actually, you got anything to write with? I’ve got something for you too.” 

The vault hunter stared at her roommate and proceeded to pull out a bucket of paint and a paintbrush from one of the storage boxes that had remained unpacked from the previous night. “I don’t keep a journal if that’s what you were hoping for, I literally just have this for whenever I feel like switching up Iron Bear’s –” 

Before she could continue, she was quickly interrupted by the sudden rush of Tyreen bolting for the paint and brush.

“Tyreen, what the hell are you doing?! I-” Her sentence immediately cut off again by the force of her roommate actually proceeding to slowly push her onto her back. “Hey! What the fuck?!”

“Oh, be quiet you big baby.” The black haired woman chuckled, gently dipping the brush into the paint and beginning to write something on the gunner’s top.

Just as quickly as it had begun, the attack was over, and Tyreen gave her roommate a quick wink signaling that she was finished. “What did you write?! I loved this top!” The vault hunter groaned. 

“And now you’ll love it even more. Use the camera on your ECHO or something, I don’t know, vault thief.” 

Moze quickly used the ECHO that she had intended to allow Tyreen to use and pulled up the camera. Looking at herself on the screen she noticed that her top was now vandalized. The words ‘Gun Slut’ had been plastered for all to see, and a small “Ty was here!” followed by a little heart on the side.

“Dude!” Moze burst indignantly, now turned only to find that Tyreen was actually writing something on her helmet. “No! Give me that! I -”

“Too late!” The siren interjected, carefully handing her the helmet. 

Moze took the helmet, quickly noticing that her helmet had also been defaced with the name ‘Gun Slut.’ “Why would you do this, dude?!” The gunner burst, partially angry that Tyreen had defaced her property, but partially in love with the fact that the siren was imprinting on her. 

“It’s a gift! My brand, my logo, if you will, vault hunter. Something us businesswomen use.” Tyreen beamed.

“How is everyone associating me with ‘Gun Slut’ supposed to be a gift?!” 

“Oh, I’ve heard the gossip! I work in bar now y'know.” Tyreen chuckled. “COV, my babies, are still out there worshipping me like the loyal little turd farmers they are. I’m over that dream now, but it sounds like they aren’t. Just trust me, hon. I guarantee it’ll save your ass.” She smiled, seemingly knowing something that the soldier didn’t. 

Moze sighed, staring at her vandalized helmet, wondering if there was actually any truth to the siren’s words or if she was just being hazed. “And the shirt? I don’t think you actually expect me to show up into battle with this on do you?”

“No! You’re just an abolute snack, and if anyone sees you looking like the way you are now then I just want them to know who you’re bunking with.” The siren winked. 

“And you couldn’t have written literally anything other than ‘Gun Slut’?” 

Tyreen smiled and shook her head. “It’s a name that sticks, what can I say? Now go get dressed! Loser-stache is waiting to be judged.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Promethean landing party consisted of Fl4k and Moze. Amara remained aboard Sanctuary, attempting to discern where she would have her Sabbatical, while Zane had planned to accompany her, leaving the role of siren to that of one Tyreen Calypso. Fortunately for her friend, however, Moze’s ECHO was the only one directly able to communicate with the very chatty siren.

“Promethea! Wow, look at all those lights! All the sounds! You just take me to the most amazing places, don’t you?” Tyreen exclaimed, watching Moze’s camera feed.

“Shoulda dropped the whole god-queen thing, dude. Coulda been living in a WONDERFUL place like this.” Moze replied sarcastically.

“Am I detecting a hint of salt? Is that directed at me? Or?-” 

“Nah.” The gunner replied, tossing a piece of gum into her mouth. “Just sick of these capitalist pigs.” 

“Ooh, Angry Moze! Love it! Love it! Still would’ve loved to have seen you on my side, especially with that anger. I’m tellin’ ya, Moze. UN-STOPPABLE.”

“Never would’ve happened, it’s just… Look at this place!” The gunner replied frustratedly, taking glances around the city. “So many planets need help. Pandora, Gehenna, I still haven’t even had the time to find out what the hell happened to Elpis, but you can buy yourself a $300,000 steak right here on Promethea! It’s bullshit!” 

“See, you’re talking all, justice and stuff… Which is great, good for you, well done! But like, why worry about it if you’re not gonna do anything about it?”

“I did.” The soldier replied sternly. “I joined Vladof for a reason.” 

“Never did tell me why you left.” Tyreen remarked 

Moze sighed, watching her friend taking point up ahead as they approached the Atlas HQ. “What’s that thing about causes turning against you?” The gunner asked, blowing a bubble with her gum. “When I joined, Vladof was all about, y’know, taking down the Capitalist oppressors and all that. Well, I feel like I was one of the only ones who noticed when Vladof became that oppressor we were trying to stop. Tried to get the hell out of there as soon as I could, but they just kept suckin’ me back in. It’s why I had to go AWOL.” 

“And you didn’t want to work for any of those other loser companies after all that?” 

“Hell no, man! Vladof at least USED to care for the dream, now they’re just like the rest of those assholes who only care about a paycheck.” Moze replied. “Eat the rich!”

The vault hunter’s joke triggered a giggle from the siren. “Y’know one group out there had a real dream. Those bandits? All their god-queen wanted to do was consume the stars, but nooooo.”

“I want equality not anarchy, shut up dude.” The soldier smiled. 

Up ahead, Fl4k was now waiting for their friend at the entrance of the base. While they possessed no facial features to draw emotions from, they did possess one tell that the soldier had become very accustomed too. Body language. Maybe it was the helplessness of almost losing both her and Amara, maybe it was the fact that the gunner was hopelessly infatuated with a former cult leader, or maybe it was the fact that yet another intergalactic corporation might have waged a war against them, but whatever the case, Fl4k was nervous. 

“Moserah?” The robot inquired gently, placing a hand on their friend’s shoulder.

“Yeah, dude?” 

“Whatever happens next. I will provide you cover.” 

The duo glanced at each other in understanding and support, prompting Tyreen to loudly blow a raspberry into Moze’s microphone. “C’mon! Vamos you two! Loser-stache ain’t gonna kill himself.”

While the hostile takeover of Atlas had been stopped when the Calypo’s reign of terror was brought to an end, most of the soldiers had kept their posts around the headquarters. Life was finally beginning to return to normal back in the city of Meridian, but the memories of the war and its effects on Atlas still lingered on. 

The two vault hunters made their way through the facility with relative ease, most members of the company recognizing the two as they quickly made their way up to Rhys’s office. The only thing standing between them and the CEO was what felt like a five minute elevator ride to the top level of the building. 

“How long is this going to take?!” Tyreen burst through the comms. 

“We’re almost to the top… Maybe…” Moze replied desperately, prompting a nod of affirmation from her robotic friend.

Minutes later, the elevator had finally arrived at the top floor of the building. The doors sliding open to reveal the familiar moustached face of one Rhys Strongfork. “He – Hey, vault hunters. What seems to be the problem?” 

“Play bad cop!” Tyreen shouted into the mic. “Play bad cop!” 

“Alright, Strongfork!” Moze burst, causing Atlas’s CEO to literally hop backwards. “Encrypted message on Nekrotafeyo. Your name. Digging up a vault. I want answers, Rhys!” The soldier continued sternly. 

“Whoah! Whoah!” Rhys fumbled. “I uh, I don’t know what you guys are talking about – I – ”

“Never trust a man with a moustache!” Moze interjected. “Isn’t that what I said, Fl4k?!” The gunner continued, turning to her companion. 

“Affirmative.” The robot nodded, now glancing around the room for any potential guards or turrets that might have to be dealt with if this all went sideways, suspicious that the businessman didn't have any form of security nearby. 

“I’m gonna give you to the count of three before things get messy, and then you’re gonna tell me what you were doing drilling for a vault? Ok?!” The gunner exclaimed, noticing the sheer look of panic and terror in Rhys’s eyes. “One -”

“Ok ok ok ok! Let’s uh? Let’s sit down, guys? Ok? I’ll – I’ll explain everything.” The CEO interjected, desperately trying not to fumble over every word that came out of his mouth. We need to uh, we need to talk business. Uh – let’s – sit down?” Rhys asked, looking to his desk.

“Alright, you capitalist pig.” Moze replied, seriously. “But if you make any sudden movements, I swear I’ll -”

“Capitalist pig? That’s kinda – harsh. Isn’t it?” The former Hyperion employee asked nervously, slowly proceeding to take a seat at his desk. The man sighed deeply, taking a look at a picture of a woman on his desk before turning the swivel chair to look out the window, a beautiful view of the city behind him. “Do you have any idea how hard it was reviving Atlas? It was like bringing my baby back from the dead. Well – I mean, not my baby, I mean, I didn’t found Atlas – it’s more like... Ok, I revived someone else’s dead baby – no. That doesn’t sound right. Kinda morbid, right? I -”

“Clocks ticking, Rhys” Moze interrupted, slowly reaching for the grip of her pistol. “And the longer I have to stare at that stupid moustache the more and more I start to lose focus! And when I lose my focus, my trigger finger gets -” 

“You told me this moustache deserved a medal!” Rhys stammered, interrupting his interrogator. 

“Tell him you’ll kill him if he doesn’t shave that stupid thing right off!” Tyreen quickly shouted into Moze’s mic, unbeknownst to both Fl4k and Rhys. 

“I was lying!” Moze jabbed. “Now start talking!” 

“I run a business, Moze!” Rhys panicked. “It’s – it’s not easy, now look – I – I tried rebuilding this company nice and fairly – Which is – it’s hard – but I did it. Then Maliwan tried their hostile takeover and we not only had to defend ourselves, but had to protect the city too, which wasn’t easy either.” The man sighed, shaking his head. “We’re teetering on the edge of bankruptcy here, so when I got this tip about a vault I figured, hey! E-tech weapons! Those were a big thing, right? I harvest that, charge a premium, and boom! We’re back in business, baby! I was actually going to ask you guys to kill whatever – thing – is in there for me once we finally dig up that vault – how did you find out?” 

“Wait wait wait – hold up!” Moze interrupted. “What do you mean, ‘when you finally dig that vault up?’” The gunner asked quizzically. 

“We were going to make a base, vault hunter.” Rhys replied, concern dripping into his voice. “In case the vault monster escaped we’d be able to trap it, that way no one would get hurt if something went wrong. Construction shouldn’t be finished for another year or so, I mean, we barely finished getting the drill set up a month ago, I -”

“Looks like someone’s been playing with your toys without permission, Strongfork.” Moze commented, truly beginning to hope that this conspiracy wouldn’t get any deeper. “Someone started the drill up a month ago, the monster escaped and the damned thing almost killed me, Amara, Ava, and Ty – Uh, we almost died yesterday.” 

“Whoah, wait wait wait, hold up. The vaults already been opened?!” 

“Affirmative.” Chimed the voice of the beastmaster, who had been staring out the window as well. “It is for this reason why we are here. The next logical questions would be to ascertain how, exactly, you gained the knowledge of this vaults existence, and to find out who unleashed the wrath of this creature prematurely.” 

“I uh – I got a hot tip. It gave me coordinates, the idea for bringing back a revival of E-tech weapons... It was gonna be great!” Rhys chucked nervously.

“And who sent you this ‘hot tip?’” Fl4k inquired. 

“Uh, dunno. Message was anonymous. Had one of my guys take a look at the message though.” The CEO replied, wiping a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead. “We couldn’t figure out exactly who sent it, but we did learn that it came from a Hyperion facility, and considering that Jack is dead, and Hyperion’s got A LOT of PR work ahead of them, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to take a chance and look.” 

“After everything you’d been through, you’re still trusting Hyperion?” Moze scoffed.

“I don’t trust them, vault hunter.” Rhys replied, a bit more sternly. “But right now, Atlas is trying to keep afloat AND help rebuild things around here. We’re strapped for cash, and if this helps keep my friends with food in their mouths and a roof over their head then I have to take it.” 

“Any idea where this Hyperion base is?” The gunner asked, crossing her arms. 

“No clue, but the message was sent with a civilian ID tag, and since those have limited ranges it just means that the sender has to be in this system, and the only operating civilian facility nearby with Hyperion ID tags is – ”

“Oh, for god’s sake.” Moze replied, now rubbing her temples. Memories, both good and bad swelling within her. 

“Wait, what? Am I missing something?” Rhys asked apprehensively.

“The Handsome Jackpot. You got a tip from the Handsome Jackpot.”

“I’m sorry – did you say the Handsome -”

“Yes, Rhys. Handsome Jack built casino, but no worries. There are no more booby traps, secret doors, or whatever left. We’ll head out as soon as we get back to Sanctuary to investigate. Jack’s gone. You don’t need to -”

“No!” The moustached man burst skeptically. “That’s how he works – He makes you think he’s gone, and then… No. if Jack was involved with this then I’m coming too.” 

“And what about your company?” The gunner asked as she raised an eyebrow, impressed that this man was beginning to stand up for himself. "Pretty sure everyone here'll notice their CEO's gone missing."

“If Jack is related to this tip in any way – then – then I need to make sure that whatever was planned is shut down for good. They can manage, Lorelei is more than capable of rising up to the challenge.”

The trio paused, contemplating what to do next when the silence was broken by a very cheerful siren cheering from the speaker in Moze’s helmet. “Hey, soldier girl! Moxxi says to come back to the ship right away.”

“Who was that?” Fl4k inquired, tilting their head at the fortuitous timing of the call. 

“Just Tyreen.” Moze replied, instantly realizing her slipup, and the fact that if Rhys really was going to accompany them, she would have to explain all that had happened over the past months. 

“Wait a second… Please tell me you just happen to have a friend named Tyreen.” The CEO added. "You're not talking about -" 

The gunner shook her head and gestured for Rhys and Fl4k to follow her back to Sanctuary. “It’s a long story.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Following their conversation in Rhys’s office the trio had begun to make their way to Moxxi’s back aboard Sanctuary. Catching Rhys up on all that had happened aboard the Jackpot all those months ago was no problem, but it was only with the knowledge of Tyreen’s newfound position aboard the ship that the CEO began to show some resistance. 

“Ok.” The former Hyperion company man gulped. “So, let me get this straight… You are now, bunking with Calypso. Tyreen Calypso. The very same person who signed a deal with Maliwan, assaulted my city, tried to take over my company, started an evil bandit church, released an alien god and tried to eat it, and literally held human sacrifices because she was hungry?!” 

“Yeah.” Moze replied, matter-of-factly. “But she’s alright now.” 

“Oh?” Rhys laughed nervously. “Ok, so – she’s alright now? That’s wonderful! Because she did a little community service? Forgive me for being a little SKEPTICAL!” The man frowned, rubbing his hand through his hair nervously. 

“God, everyone is so annoying!” The siren burst over Moze’s mic. “Does everyone want a personal handwritten letter of apology and a hug or something? What a bunch of babies!”

“He’s struggling right now because of your deal with Maliwan, Ty. It honestly is the least you could do.” The gunner replied to her crush.

“Oh? And she’s eavesdropping on us? That’s great!” Rhys added, overhearing the soldier talking through her headset. “How could you trust -”

“We’ll talk about this later.” Moze sighed, cutting off Sanctuary’s latest guest. “We’re here.” 

The trio entered the bar, welcomed by the local barkeep. “Ty called in, told me all about what happened. I called my guy down at my casino, figured if we’re gonna be confronting our old narcissistic demons we’d gonna need all the help we could get. We’ll be greeted by a friendly face when we dock at my place.” 

“And who exactly is your guy?” Rhys asked apprehensively. 

“I’m sure Moze told you the story. Who else would my guy be?” Moxxi smiled. “Timothy Lawrence of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got the inspiration for Moze's pajamas on a post I saw on Tumblr, and honestly it just ... killed me. Why is there so little content for BL3 there? I don't know. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!


	13. A Prelude to Mayhem

Over the past few months Moxxi had begun the alterations of The Jackpot Casino. Every attempt at renovation had to be met with extreme caution for even the most potentially innocent of objects could potentially be a deadly threat. The most notable example being the time when a toilet spontaneously combusted in one of the casino’s numerous VIP rooms. But with great diligence, the facility had finally been swept clear. The casino had one large double-edged sword, however, and that lied predominately in the fact that much like all other Hyperion facilities, the station had numerous built in self-defense systems: turrets, constructors, and the cherry on top, an enormous army of loader bots had all remained, waiting for their moment of reactivation. 

As Sanctuary had begun its docking procedure with what was now Moxxi’s casino, the barkeep pondered to herself. There was always a chance that this anonymous tip Rhys had received could genuinely have been altruistic, an anonymous suggestion to help out their fellow man, or even just a potential investor trying to plant the seeds of corporate growth, knowing how wise it would be to invest into Atlas now before the E-tech boom would cause the price of shares to increase dramatically. She would have loved to believe any of the two former explanations, but this was the borderlands of the known universe, and the barkeep wasn’t naïve enough to put all of her hopes into these theories any longer. Knowing full well that the crew would need a plan, she gathered her team in the bar. 

“Alright, we all know the drill. Vault hunters work best in teams of four, so this team’s gonna have to split up!” Moxxi declared, staring at the group before her. “Moze, Ava, Fl4k, Tannis. You will be team one. Team two will be -”

“Um, Moxxi? A word, if I may?” Tannis interjected apprehensively. “From what I gather, there is nothing the vault hunters would need that I couldn’t do remotely from here.” 

“You have phaseshifting abilities now, hon.” Moxxi replied, gently placing her hand on the siren’s shoulder. “We’re gonna be needing your tech abilities now more than ever.”

Nodding, the reluctant sirentist made her way next to Moze and proceeded with listening to the barkeep’s plan.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve been out in the field but seeing that this is MY casino it would only make sense for me to help out. Therefore, team two will be made up of myself, Timothy, Rhys, and… Tyreen.”

Looks of shock and horror plastered the group’s faces. Silence filled the bar, the only sound that could be heard was the soft muffled laughter emanating from the microphone in Moze’s helmet. 

“Moxxi? Hi, uh… big fan.” Atlas’s CEO fumbled. “But do you really think that’s a smart idea?I mean… If Jack really is somehow getting his revenge from beyond the grave then wouldn’t dealing with one psychotic murderer be hard enough?”

“Ouch.” Tyreen replied sardonically into Moze’s mic. “Tell Moxx to put us on the same team, Moze! We can go to a club or something!”

The gunner shook her head without saying a word in response, not wishing to remind everyone that she was in fact, currently in contact with the former cult leader. 

“Every team needs a good siren.” The barkeep replied with a wink.

“Then call Amara back!” Ava burst. “Or just put me on your team, I -”

“I’ll call Zer0!” Rhys interrupted desperately. “Not a siren, but my bro’s still one of the best vault hunters in the business! If he knew Jack might be back I’m sure -”

“Everyone listen up!” Moxxi snapped, placing her hands on her hips. “I’m only gonna say this once. Tyreen’s coming with us. Every second we waste, whoever decided to send out this tip could be wrecking havoc. Sure, we stopped em this time, but who’s to say that they didn’t tell Dahl about another vault? Or Vladof? We don’t have enough time to call in anyone else, and besides. I’ve been spending almost every day with Tyreen now for the past year. Her past is – horrible – she truly has acted monstrously, and I understand your fear of her.”

“Oh, rude.” Tyreen commented, prompting Moze to shake her head in an attempt to silence her crush’s quips.

“But people change, and she’s shown me. Before Jack was Jack, he risked his life numerous times for us, he wanted to save Elpis, he was a damned hero, but we all know where his story led. Tyreen’s story is still being written, and I think that if someone as heroic as that narsissitic bastard was could become evil, I think the reverse can be just as true. I’m not saying she deserves to go free, and I’m not saying she’ll ever truly be redeemed -”

“Hurtful.” The siren once again quipped into the soldier’s mic, unbeknownst to the other vault hunters in the room.

“- but she deserves the chance to try.” Moxxi continued over the voice of the siren. “So, if there aren’t any other questions then -”

“Excuse me?” The businessman interrupted, raising his hand. “Yeah, so… What exactly are we using as leverage to get her to work with us? Or better yet, NOT KILL US?” 

“Tell him I’ll help if he shaves that stupid moustache off.” Tyreen jabbed.

“You’re just gonna have to trust me, sugar.” The barkeep winked, pulling out her ECHO device to contact Timothy.

“Hey, are two teams really even necessary? I mean like, what are we even going to be doing?” Ava questioned.

“Simple, hon. Team one, our heavy hitters, need to find and deal with whoever or whatever sent the signal. Team two needs to secure the reactor, last thing we need is someone trying to blow the joint while we’re all inside.”

“And what if they try launching us back into the black hole again?” Moze asked nonchalantly, tossing a piece of gum into her mouth. 

“Thrusters are disabled, vault hunter.” The barkeep replied. “We couldn’t get sucked in unless we wanted too.”

“Are you sure, Moxxi?” The blue haired siren chimed in nervously. “I mean… It’s a black hole, like, wouldn’t we get sucked in eventually? I -”

“Oh, you all really need to brush up on your celestial mechanics.” Tannis interjected, her voice filled with annoyance. “Provided that we remain beyond the event horizon we are perfectly safe. Black holes are not the monstrosities that science fiction makes them out to be, and to give you more unsolicited knowledge, no. Black holes evaporate, they only grow when matter -”

“Patricia?... Tannis, honey?” Moxxi interrupted gently. “I’m sure Ava would love to hear all about how black holes work, but we need to get moving. ”If there aren’t any other questions then -” The barkeep quickly made eye contact with everyone in the group before finishing her planning. “Alright then! Suit up and get ready. We’ll all meet up in the lobby in an hour!”

The teams slowly disassembled, all prepping for combat, and to brace themselves for the mental taxation that could occur with what could be the potential resurrection of one of their greatest foes. As Moze turned to head back to her room, however, she was quickly interrupted by a hand gently grabbing her shoulder. 

“Moze, sweetie?” Moxxi’s voice called softly. “A word before you go please?” She continued, guiding the soldier to the back of the bar. “And if you could please turn off your comms with Tyreen for a minute, it would be greatly appreciated.”

The barkeep’s request instantly prompted a loud booing from her mic, but Moze proceeded to turn off both the camera and audio feed linked to Tyreen’s ECHO. “Ok, Moxxi. What’d ya wanna talk about?” 

“Can you please make sure Tyreen is willing to… cooperate with us? I know she’ll go along with the plan, but if things go sideways… I NEED to know that she’s with us. Understand, sugar?” 

The gunner tried to analyze the barkeep’s expression but couldn’t exactly discern what she was feeling. “Why me? I mean – You spend more time with her than I do at this point, I don’t -”

“Trust me, hon. She values your opinion more than you’d think.” Moxxi replied matter-of-factly. It would have been so easy to just reveal Tyreen’s crush on her captor, hell, maybe something might even develop out of the revelation, but these were two grown women and they needed to sort their feelings out for themselves. 

“So… You want me to tell her to listen to you?” Moze asked quizzically. 

“No.” The barkeep sighed, a look of tenderness now forming on her face. “I just need you to remind her of why she’s fighting to be a better person in the first place.” 

“She’s really growin’ on ya, isn’t she?” Moze chuckled, folding her arms. 

The older woman smiled and proceeded to wave her friend away. “Just remember why she’s onboard in the first place. Now go on! We’ve got a long day ahead of us!” 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The soldier made her way back to her room and was promptly greeted by a sock being thrown at her face. “What the hell, dude?!” Moze burst with a smile, tossing the sock back to the siren. 

“What’d Moxxi tell you?!” Tyreen questioned intently. 

“Whoah! Calm down. She uh, just wanted me to make sure you -” Before she could continue with her explanation, the gunner was interrupted by her crush’s loud groaning. 

“Lemme guess. She wants to make sure I play nice, right?” 

“Can you blame her?” Moze sighed. “I mean -”

“Honey, if I wanted to hurt anyone, they’d already be dead.” The siren interjected smugly, a menacing grin spreading across her face.

“See, when you say things like that, that’s when I start to worry.” The vault hunter replied sternly, placing her hands on her hips.

“Oh relax, Mozie.” Tyreen replied, pinching the shorter woman’s cheek. “I could never hurt a little cutie like you.” She continued, her tone filled with condescension, but her heart filled with longing. 

“Is that why you saved me twice?” Moze grinned cheekily. “Cuz you think I’m cute?”

“What?!” The siren burst, still resisting the urge to fall back to her façade of being a god-queen. “No, you’re just – you’re growing on me. Y’know, like a sad puppy or something.” 

The vault hunter blew a bubble with her gum and sighed wearily. “Alright, man. Look, we need to get ready. You ready to take down some scrubs?” She asked, raising her fist.

“You and your cliché’s.” The siren smiled rolling her eyes as she bumped the shorter woman’s fist with her own. “Let’s do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! This chapter is on the shorter end of things, because as I was writing this I was greeted with the teaser for the announcement for the fourth dlc of BL3 (A tailer for a trailer is ridiculous, right? Just me? Ok, anyways...)
> 
> I had a lot of plans for characterization for well - just about everyone in Moxxi's two teams. I've been an MCU fan since it first began, and one of my favorite elements of that franchise is character interactions. I adore seeing characters you'd never even think of interacting with each other end up meeting, and playing off one another... But with DLC 4 centered around Krieg this might change some of the plans I had for character development since the entire story is probably going to revolve around the team losing Maya. 
> 
> I've been trying to keep this fic as lore compliant and in-character as possible (the greatest deviations being the entire shipping aspect of the story between Moze/Tyreen, the fact that a person like Tyreen would ever want to be a good person, and a few minor tweaks here and there to make Ty a little less of a bastard lmao. The point of this note is really just that I'm a bit apprehensive to post the next couple of chapters until DLC 4 is out so I can get a good gauge of some of the changes and challenges our heroes are going to end up facing, that way I can decide whether or not to incorporate the DLC in full later down the road or to just adjust some of the characterization I had planned for the next arc.
> 
> If you guys have any suggestions or anything please don't hesitate to let me know! Your comments, feedback, and encouragement is seriously appreciated, and I'd love to hear your thoughts!
> 
> Anyways, as always, I hope all of you are staying safe! And until next time - Ciao!


	14. Revelations

The Previous Night

Over the past year, the vault hunters had been very busy. The Calypso twin’s reign of terror had ended, an eldritch monster slaughtered on Xylourgos, another vault monster put down on Gehenna, even the Eridium Cartel’s branches had all swiftly been trimmed. There seemed to be nothing that the newer generation of vault hunters and the Crimson Raiders couldn’t handle, up until this moment. 

Some scars never fade, and the ones that Handsome Jack had dealt were among the worst. Fearing for the safety of her boyfriend, Timothy, along with the rest of her newfound family, Moxxi had prepped for the worst. It had been some time since she had actually been on the field, most of her contributions as of late being performed through a Holo, simply handling missions, but the fact of the matter was that while she may have dedicated her life to engineering and then living life as a barkeep, she was a vault hunter at heart. So why the hell didn’t she have any proper combat gear? 

Realizing her lack of foresight, the barkeep knew she would have to spend the entire night digistructing herself proper protection. Borrowing the same device she had been using as of late for Tyreen, Moxxi began to fortify the gear she used when not in the eyes of the public, her old mechanics garb that had served her so well back on her time on Elpis was now being modified to protect her in combat. She always hated people seeing her out of character, all the physicality and innuendo that had garnered her fame throughout the galaxies, her Nana’s words echoing in her head “appearances are everything.” But that didn’t matter, certainly not now, because she knew looks wouldn’t matter if she was dead. 

The one thing she did have going for her, however, was the fact that she had her own personal assortment of Maliwan weaponry to choose from. Years ago, long before the company’s attempted hostile takeover of Atlas, she had granted the manufacturer a license to manufacture weapons with her logo and permission to use her likeness in its products, and they had certainly done so. As a gift, in honor of their deal, Maliwan had even granted her access to a cache of weaponry large enough to arm a small militia, but much of that stock had been depleted due solely to her disdain for the company’s design choice. 

Rather than creating weaponry using her signature color scheme, or even a subtle logo, all of the “Moxxi Maliwan’s” had been emblazoned with her image. And while she greatly admired her looks, the fact of the matter was that it was incredibly tacky, and she had actually given away most of her stock to vault hunters as rewards for helping her in the past. Once again, however, she had to remind herself that these appearances no longer mattered, elemental weaponry was essential when dealing with Hyperion and the corrosive SMG she had stored in her bunk on Sanctuary would do for now.

It was with this sudden reminder that Moxxi had realized she had made a terrible mistake, and she needed to get to work quickly. While Tyreen’s leeching abilities made her the perfect foil to other sirens and vault monsters, some of the most powerful beings in the universe, she realized that she would be useless in a fight with Hyperion. 

One of Jack’s primary strengths lied in his programming abilities, and if he truly was back then even with all of the safety protocols now installed aboard the Jackpot, he would have the homefield advantage. If he managed to access any of the weaponry, or worse, the army of loader bots lying dormant deep in the bowels of the space station, they would easily be able to combat Tyreen. Moxxi paused, reflecting on all that had transpired over the course of her life, and laughed. How ironic was it that an army of loader bots, individually some of the weakest combatants in the galaxies, could have been the perfect defense against the Calypso twins? For as powerful as Tyreen’s leeching ability was, it was useless against robots or other machinery. 

After sewing the newly digistructed armor plates into her jeans and vest, she realized she had needed to give Tyreen an edge to fighting off an enemy who had proven to be even more treacherous than she had been. “Ellie, honey?” Moxxi called. 

The barkeep’s daughter flipped up her welding helmet, stopping her work on a piece of heavy machinery to acknowledge her mother. “Yeah, ma? What’s up?”

A mischievous smile slowly grew upon the older woman’s face. “Sweetie, by any chance do you happen to have the blueprints for a cybernetic-arm? Extra-large?” 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mission Day

As Moze and Tyreen had made their way to depart Sanctuary they were quickly intercepted by the local barkeep who, for the first time in a long time, was publicly dressed in an outfit that was, for all intents and purposes, wholly practical. Adorned in what looked to be armor plated jeans, an armored red vest worn over a black and white striped t-shirt, and a red baseball cap. Even with very little to work with, Moxxi had managed to make a mechanic’s garb look fashionable. 

The gunner paused, quickly eyeing the woman who had been helping her over the past year, a blush rising upon her cheeks. “Look – um – I dig the new, uh – digs.” Moze smiled awkwardly, prompting the older woman to chuckle. 

“Thanks a lot, sugar.” Moxxi winked, adjusting the googles atop her cap. “You mind if I borrow Ty here for a bit? She’s gonna need a bit of an upgrade if she’s actually gonna be of any use to us down there.”

“I can crush you.” Tyreen frowned, glaring at the shorter woman.

Without hesitation, Moxxi seemingly appeared to manifest a spray bottle out of thin air, instantly shooting the siren in the face with a cold burst of water. 

“What the hell?!” Tyreen spat. “How do you even do that?!”

“You’re gonna be working with a team now, hon.” Moxxi replied folding her arms. “Meaning you’ve gotta play nice… or else.” She winked. “Now, c’mon. I have something for you that I think you’ll enjoy.”

The two women waved to Moze as they went their separate ways, Moze to assemble with her team, and the barkeep and the siren to the cargo bay. As the duo made their way, they were greeted with the same hostile stares that they had grown accustomed too since Tyreen had come aboard, until they finally arrived at the storage hold. 

“Y’know!” Ellie’s unmistakable voice called out, emanating from one of the cargo bay’s storage rooms. “I think ma’s given you more gifts in the past year than she ever gave Scooter and I over the course of our entire lives!” 

Tyreen and Moxxi came to a standstill, both waiting for the mechanic to emerge with said “gift,” the sounds of tools and metal clainging against each other echoed throughout the room. 

“I gave you two a happy childhood, that’s the best gift a child ever could receive.” Moxxi replied cheerfully, hiding the anger and regret in her voice. 

“Yeah, life with the Hodunks, real fun.” Elle replied sarcastically, making a heaving sound as she presumably lifted something up. “Those sum’bitches were gonna make me their clan wife, and you think that’s a good childhood?”

“Why do you think we left, sugar?” Moxxi replied testily. “I never would’ve let -”

“Y’know, maybe Tyreen had the right idea. Startin’ an evil bandit church? Now there’s a way to get your attention.” Ellie spat as she emerged from the storage room, a large piece of machinery hoisted over her shoulder, most of it obscured by a blanket. 

“Aw, you think I’m smart?” Tyreen beamed. “You’re not so bad after -”

“I was bein’ sarcastic.” Moxxi’s daughter interjected dryly, placing the machinery atop a table.

“Ellie… Honey. . .” The barkeep replied sadly, approaching her last surviving child. “Now’s really not the time to-”

“Yeah, here we go.” Ellie scoffed. “It’s never the time. First you were busy with all those failed relationships, then you ran off to run the Underdome, you even ran away from grief! Where were you when Scooter died, ma?! That’s right! Busy!” The mechanic angrily pulled the blanket off the large metal device she had been carrying, revealing a large cybernetic arm. 

Tyreen gazed at the prosthetic in awe. The sleek metal arm was adorned with faux siren tattoos, practically floral in design, and the former war-criminal had found that was becoming lost in its beauty. Clearly, a lot of thought was put into this design, and she couldn’t help but feeling guilt swell within her. 

“Anyways, y’all have fun down there.” The mechanic scoffed. “I’m gonna leave it to you to tell her how painful installin’ that thing’s gonna be.” 

The siren’s stomach churned, instantly filled with the realization that she wasn’t in a state-of-the-art medical facility, a military hospital, or even in a ship with a qualified medical doctor. The installation would be autonomous, the arm itself programmed to drill itself deep into her shoulder, allowing the internal machinery to connect to her nerves, giving her the ability to manipulate the appendage as if it was her own arm of flesh and blood. 

“Moxxi… Please tell me you’ve got something for the pain?” The siren pleaded.

The barkeep shook her head and stared at the arm with a frown. “Not to rush you, hon. But the crew’s waiting for us.” 

Both women stared at the prosthetic, swapped glances, and proceeded with the installation.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Moze had rendezvoused with her team, all waiting aboard the front lobby of The Jackpot. Tannis waited nervously, watching as Ava failed to juggle some pieces of detritus in tiny phase bubbles. Fl4k merely sat on the floor with their jabber, Meat-Thief, clearly lost in thought while they waited.

“Alright team!” The soldier burst. “The location of the signal is somewhere down in The Impound Deluxe. We get in, deal with the hostile, and get out. If we get this done quickly then vodka's on me!”

“Your lack of concern over the possible resurrection of an intergalactic sociopath concerns me, vault hunter.” Tannis frowned, her hands fidgeting at her sides. 

“I think you’re forgetting who she's been crushing on for the past year.” Ava spat, crossing her arms. “Here’s hoping she doesn’t fall for Handsome Jack too.” 

Fl4k turned their head to make eye contact with the gunner, and while that single ocular device could not properly portray emotions, Moze knew exactly what her friend was thinking. It was going to be a long day. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The dull ache that resonated within Tyreen’s shoulder was insufferable, but if nothing else, she felt whole again. The wiring within the prosthetic had quickly managed to take hold, perfectly integrating itself into her body, the neural link being created just as quickly. If it wasn’t for the pain, and the absolute lack of feeling the arm possessed, the siren would’ve sworn that she never lost it in the first place. 

The bartender and the siren made their way to the VIP tower where Rhys and Timothy already stood in wait. “Wow! Look at you!” Timothy smiled, embracing Moxxi and planting a kiss on her lips. 

“Whoah, whoah, whoah! Time out!” Tyreen burst. “You didn’t tell me you had a boyfriend!” 

Moxxi turned as the doppleganger wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “You never asked, hon.” 

“Yeah… Speaking of ask.” Rhys interjected, pointing to Tyreen, disgust plastered on his face. “Are you sure THAT is a good idea? It’s not too late to send her back to prison, or -” 

“Hey, if Moxxi approves of her, I approve of her.” Timothy interrupted. “But just making sure, why wouldn’t you? I’ve been out of the loop for – for a long time.” 

“Oh? She didn’t tell you?” The businessman laughed nervously. “Yeah, her siren friend here? Tried to take over the universe by merging with a vault monster!” 

“Really?” The doppleganger asked, sizing up the taller woman. “Oh, well. We all make mistakes, I guess.”

“Not like this!” The moustached man shouted. 

“Boy, boys.” Moxxi started. “We can discuss this later, please. If you didn’t notice, we have bigger things to worry about right now.” 

“Speaking of big.” The doppleganger chuckled. “They are really putting something in the water aren’t they?” He commented, clearly referring to Tyreen’s newfound height.

“The destroyer was very nutritious.” The siren quipped dryly, suddenly feeling very insecure as she glared at the shorter man. 

“Wait! Hold on!” The Handsome Jack lookalike burst. “The destroyer as in -”

“The one and only.” Tyreen yawned. 

“God, that thing was such – did you know Hyperion used that thing’s eye as a superweapon on Helios? And they tried cloning it … and -”

“You clone me a dozen of those bad little bitches and we’ve got some calamari!” Tyreen laughed. “Am I right?!” An awkward silence filled the room causing the siren to scoff. “Ugh, whatever. God humor is just beyond you mortals. Moxxi, can we like, go now?”

“Tyreen’s right.” The barkeep replied. “Tim, can you rig up a shield to keep us covered once we get to the reactor?” 

“Sure can do, pumpkin.” The doppleganger smiled. “Hyperion’s always been great at putting shields on – well – everything. I’ll get that thing up and running faster than you can say kitten strangling!” 

Moxxi and Rhys turned towards the Handsome Jack lookalike with expressions of concern. 

“Sorry, sorry. There goes the ol’ Jack DNA again.” Timothy muttered awkwardly, prompting a hearty laugh from Tyreen.

“Oh, man.” The siren guffawed. “I like this guy!” 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As Moxxi and her team made preparations to enter the reactor, Moze’s team had already begun their slow trek towards the Impound Deluxe, facing their greatest threat yet, small talk. 

“So, how’s your girlfriend, vault hunter?” Ava jabbed. “Bet dating someone who calls herself a god queen is VERY emotionally fulfilling, am I right?” She chuckled cruelly. 

“More fulfilling than dealing with you.” Moze spat, removing a piece of gum she had stuck onto her helmet and throwing it into her mouth.

“Y’know what?” Ava chuckled angrily, carefully staring at Moze’s helmet as the group walked. “What else would I expect from a little gun slut?” 

“Alright! That’s enough!” Moze growled. “I’ve had enough of you! Everyone has! If it wasn’t for you being such a little brat, Maya would still be alive right now!”

The team stopped their walk, all pausing to absorb the weight and venom that was now in the air.

“I – I didn’t kill Maya! You girlfriend did! She – ”

“She would’ve let you AND Maya go if you would’ve kept your damned mouth shut!”

Ava threw a guilty glance towards both Tannis and Fl4k, desperately searching for the right words. “So – so you’re taking a killers words over mine? We’re vault hunters, Moze! We’re supposed to kill monsters not date them! What does that say about you?!”

“We’re not dating!” The gunner growled, trying to repress her guilt at being called out in such a way. 

“Yeah, but you’d love too, wouldn’t you?! We all know it!”

The siren and the soldier approached each other, close enough to exchange physical blows on top of the verbal ones. 

“Yeah, you know what?” Moze chuckled angrily. “Maybe I would! At least Tyreen is trying to become a better person! You’re still as much of a brat as when we met you!”

“Yeah, sure is easy to be a better person when everyone you actually give a shit about isn’t dead!” Ava choked, quickly rubbing away a stray tear that had rolled down her cheek. 

As Moze glared at the siren she was suddenly overcome by a sense of guilt. She may have been a siren now and the de-facto leader of Sanctuary, but her age had become ever apparent. These outbursts, the lack of tact, and foresight, it was all becoming clear to her. It was becoming so hard to remember that all this girl had gone through, orphaned at a young age after the brutal death of her parents, being forced to survive in a sewer, watching her mentor literally fading to dust in front of her eyes. 

Growing up, Moze knew she was a hot-headed kid, she was constantly getting into trouble. Fights with boys, backtalking to teachers, even rampaging across her kindergarten campus with a makeshift flamethrower after she had found a lighter on the ground on the way to campus. If it wasn’t for Vladof and the Ursa Corp, her life never would’ve straightened out in the first place. 

As Ava stood before her, full of anger and misery, it all began to make sense, and Moserah knew she had to be the bigger person. People need love and support to grow, how the hell could she have expected Ava to get past all that she had been through when Sanctuary was giving more thought to Tyreen than her? Taking a deep sigh, the gunner slowly embraced the siren, quickly realizing the correctness of her assumption as the siren eagerly embraced her back. 

“Ava – Look – I -”

“You’re right!” Ava sobbed, clutching onto the gunner’s fatigues. “I should’ve just been quiet! I – I was just so angry – and – -and - I just... All my life I felt helpless… Until I met Maya.” The siren gently buried her head into the soldier’s shoulder, teardrops warming the garment. “For the first time in my life I was gonna have a purpose, Moze! We were gonna fight the bad guys, and get treasure, and – and when she just gave up like that it made me so angry! Vault hunters don’t give up! They -”

“We don’t give up, Ava.” Moze interjected, gently patting the girl’s back. “You’ve just gotta know when it’s best to retreat so you can live to fight another day.”

“I’m such an idiot!” The siren burst.

“You’re not an idiot, you’re a kid.” Moze replied gently. “Nobody deserves to grow up facing all the things you have.” The soldier released the blue haired girl from her embrace and smiled softly.

“I’m sorry, Moze. I -”

“No, it’s alright. Look, we’ll about this again later, ok? When we’re not in the middle of an op?” 

“Yeah, yeah.” Ava replied guiltily as the team once again continued on their mission. 

“You know!” The voice of the sirentist burst. “Lilith was right! You really don’t get a show like this back in the lab!”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Deep near the heart of the space station turned casino, Moxxi’s team has just arrived at the reactor, and was having a conversation of an entirely different sort. 

“Um, Moxxi? – Ms. Moxxi – Ma’am -” Rhys Strongfork fumbled. “I still can’t believe you’re dating Timothy Doppleman – THE Timothy Doppleman!” The businessman chuckled, using his holo-eye to scan one of the reactor’s control terminals. 

“It’s Lawrence – ” The doppleganger chuckled awkwardly. “Timothy Lawrence, not Doppleman… I just used that alias because – WAIT! Which movie did you see me in again?” The man asked, his blush partially coming to light through a crack in the mask assigned to all dopplegangers. 

“’Handsome Jack Tames Pandora’ of course!” Rhys laughed. “Oh man, me and my friend used to watch that all the time back on Helios… Y’know, before -”

“Yeah, I know. Moxxi told me.” Timothy replied. “Never really spent much time on Helios myself… Was there when it got attacked by The Lost Legion though! That was fun…” The actor continued, operating a terminal to raise the shields. 

“I remember that mission.” Moxxi added. “You could see all the action from down below, just the way I like it.” She purred, embracing Timothy as he entered some code into the terminal.

“Oh gross!” Tyreen spat, folding her arms as she leaned against the wall, feeling somewhat useless in this scenario. 

“It’s my thing, sugar.” Moxxi winked. “You’re lucky I’ve been taking it easy on you.”

“You know what?” Rhys smiled. “If she doesn’t like it then you should just keep it up.”

“Oh, bite me.” The siren scoffed with a roll of her eyes. 

A silence filled the room as Rhys still tried to make sense of how he had gotten into this situation in the first place. Fortunately for the group, the silence was broken by the soft hum of a shield completely forming around the reactor.

“Aaand presto!” Timothy smiled, turning to wrap his arm around the barkeep as the two leaned against the terminal. “Now we just gotta make sure nobody gets in here, and – y’know – tries to kill everyone. Good times. Good times.” 

“When we’re done here -” The CEO replied sternly, folding his arms. “I’m done with Hyperion. For good.”

“You had Jack in your brain, right?” Timothy questioned the businessman awkwardly. “And not like, just thinking about him, y’know, since everyone was thinking about him because he was trying to take over the whole damned galaxy.” 

“Yeah.” The moustached man replied somberly. “He promised he’d help make me the CEO of Atlas and instead he tries to choke me with my own arm.”

“Kinky.” Moxxi chuckled lasciviously. “But in all seriousness, that monster was always making people promises of making your dreams come true.”

“Yeah.” Timothy chuckled. “Jack promised me he’d pay off my student loans… and that – still never happened – But that arm choking thing… Ouch.” The doppleganger laughed. “With the cyber arm, right?” 

“Yeah.” Rhys responded, watching his hand as he opened and closed his new Atlas issued prosthetic. “Tech is – great and all – but the thought that one day someone could just hack me to death is… horrifying.”

“Tell me about it.” Timothy laughed. “I mean, I just have the hand now.” He continued, showing off the cybernetic appendage to the group. “But I still get worried, y’know.” 

As the two men changed their topic from their experiences with Hyperion to cybernetics, Moxxi couldn’t help but turn her attention to the siren who had now taken a seat on the floor, lost in the sight of her own new prosthetic. 

“You’re awfully quiet, Ty.” The barkeep commented, noting the younger woman’s silence.

The taller woman, lost in thought and desperately trying not to show weakness, shrugged apathetically. “What do you want me to say? I’m a goddess, this doesn’t faze me.”

“You and I both know that isn’t true.” The barkeep replied with a raise of an eyebrow.

“Oh, it isn’t?” Rhys scoffed, raising glares from the two other women. “I’m sorry.” He huffed, turning to stare out the shield. “But forgive me for still not understanding how you’re all still somehow ok with being in the same room as this -”

“As this what?” The siren asked, glaring at the businessman. “You’re all so damned sensitive, let it go. I’m good now or whatever.” 

“Talking like that gives me doubts.” Moxxi replied sternly.

“Look.” Tyreen continued. “You’re all locked in this stupid bubble. With me! And you’re still alive! Happy?” 

“Everything you did. Everyone you hurt. That left scars, honey.” The barkeep replied. “Take it from the three of us who are still trying to get over the wounds Jack left us with. Recovery ain’t easy, you’ve been let off easy.”

“I lost everything! What else do you want from me?!” The younger woman burst.

“How about an apology?!” Rhys interjected with a scoff, throwing his hands in the air with confusion and disgust.

“For what?” Tyreen grumbled.

The businessman quickly exchanged glances between both the doppleganger and the barkeep in an attempt to ensure that they had both heard the remark. 

“For what?! Well, how about apologizing for sending an army of bandits to terrorize my city?! Oh! Or how about apologizing for helping my corporate rival destroy my favorite bagel place? Or incinerating Lazy River Land?! That place was a treasure!”

“Fine!” Tyreen groaned. “I’m sorry, like, that super creepy Katajawa guy blew up your favorite kiddie theme park.” The siren’s grinned cruelly. 

“Ok, first of all. It was Katagawa – and – and secondly. Lazy River Land was meant for all ages, ok?! They wouldn’t have sold margaritas there if -”

“Tyreen, dammit!” Moxxi burst, interrupting the CEO’s retort. “You’re missing the point!”

“Oh, no. I got it.” The black-haired woman chuckled. “The CEO of the loser company is sad that all it took was a simple push for him to almost lose everything.”

“Do you have any idea how hard it is to revive a business in the post-maturity stage of its lifecycle?!” Rhys shouted, a crack clearly audible in his voice. “I put my heart and soul into that company, man. We were – we’re probably one of the only organizations out there right now that doesn’t have some horrible agenda.”

“Oh, god.” Timothy panicked. “Don’t tell me Jakobs is-”

“No – no.” Rhys laughed nervously. “Jakobs is ok.”

“Thank god.” Timothy replied, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. “I - ”

“Actually – I think they were doing some pretty shady stuff going on down on Gehen-”

“Who cares what the companies are doing!” Tyreen interjected. “Big fish eat the little ones. If you live long enough, you deserve to do whatever you want!” 

“Yeah, if you’re a bandit.” Timothy remarked, shaking his head. “Lady, what is your problem?”

“My problem?” Tyreen laughed unnervingly. “What’s my problem?! What – my dad locks me and my brother up in a cave, on a desert planet in the middle of fucking nowhere – for – for my entire goddamned life telling me that everyone is out to get me – and – and I’m the one who’s the bad guy here?!” The siren burst. “If everyone is out to get me – what’s so wrong with getting them first?! If I rule everything then I – everyone obeys ME! Who’s gonna hunt me down then, huh?! No one will dare touch the God-Queen!” 

Moxxi watched as Tyreen began to laugh hysterically, tears now beginning to stream down her face as she did so.

“Yeah, Moxxi?” Timothy whispered into her ear, his arm still wrapped around her. “I think she needs a therapist.”

“Trust me, honey, I know, but the closest thing we’ve got is Tannis and I’m pretty sure if she tried Tyreen would end up even worse.” 

The barkeep sighed, turning to the siren. “Your dad really messed you up, didn’t he sugar?” 

“What’s wrong with ruling over and killing a bunch of bandits, huh?!” Tyreen sobbed, her teeth clenched in anguish. 

“It’s pretty easy to hurt people when you – y’know, don’t see em’ as people.” Timothy sighed. “Jack used the exact same type of thinking when he was in charge. Just call somebody a bandit and boom! Kill em! Problem solved, you’re a hero. It was pretty fucked up.”

Rhys, simultaneously curious and disgusted, managed to contribute to the conversation, watching as the siren sobbed uncontrollably on the ground. “What did you think was gonna happen if you won, anyways?” He asked apprehensively. “You could’ve asked Jack, you get power, people are gonna be gunning for you, err… it.” 

“How – how would they have taken it from a living god?! The siren replied.

Her response prompted a smile from the barkeep. “The same way Moze did, sugar.” She winked. 

“She has a mech!” Tyreen spat. “You try conquering the galaxy while someone is shooting missiles at you!” 

“She has Iron Bear, sure, hon.” Moxxi replied. “But the real reason she managed to do it was because she had friends.”

“Oh, don’t give me that bullshit!” The siren laughed, tears still in her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah… That is a bit… After-school special-ish…” Rhys added, prompting a glare from the doppleganger.

“Ok, so what – what are you saying that I could’ve become a god if I was closer with my followers? A bit late for the life advice, mom!” The siren snapped.

“No, I’m saying you’ll be better with the help of friends.” Moxxi smiled sadly, approaching the younger woman to pat her on the back. “I mean, if that’s not beneath a god-queen.” She chuckled.

Tyreen, knowing there was nothing left for her out in the galaxy besides manic bandit hordes, knowing she needed to improve if she ever wanted to be with Moze, and knowing that somewhere deep inside, she had needed this, nodded. 

“That’s sweet, really pulls the ol’ heartstrings.” Rhy remarked sarcastically. “You guys have fun with that, but when this mission is over, I’m out of here!” The CEO quickly pulled out his ECHO device to check the time and wondered how Moze’s team was doing with their part of the mission. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The gunner and her squad had finally arrived to their destination, a VIP lounge which contained only one way in or out. On the other side of a large, steel enforced door, someone with knowledge of a vault had made the first move of an intergalactic game of chess. 

“Alright, team!” Moze barked. “On my order we breach the room. Fl4k, you’re after me, got it?” 

The robot nodded in response and readied their weapon, watching as the gunner counted down from three with her fingers, and breached. The room was empty, but before any assessment could be made beyond that, the power went out. The steel doors behind them automatically sealed, a failsafe in case the station had encountered a hull breach. Moze, Flk4, and the others were all literally in the dark.

“Moxxi!” Moze called in over her ECHO. “Do you read me? Moxxi? Come in! I -”

As the gunner called for assistance, a single screen had turned on, illuminating the room that had just been shrouded in darkness. The screen portrayed an image of a bandit, his mask had been fractured and bloodied, and his eyes conveyed an intensity that went far beyond any normal bandit that the vault hunters had dealt with before. Like many of his insane brethren he wore no shirt, his muscles bared for all to see, along with a brand. It was the mark of the Firehawk. 

“Who are you?!” Moze questioned authoritatively. 

“If it isn’t the god-killer herself.” The man chuckled, his raspy voice filled with malice. “Yes, I figured you and yours would have been keeping a very close eye on me.”

The soldier glared at the screen, clearly a majority of the galaxy’s psychos didn’t know that Tyreen was still very much alive. “Why did you tell Atlas about -” 

“Simple.” The man interjected, a grin audible in his voice. “Do you really think an army of psychos have the mental fortitude to execute a drilling operation of that magnitude?” 

“Psychos are notoriously idiotic.” Tannis chimed in. “Fair point, but what were you looking for? Weapons? The vaults -”

“You’re a siren!” The masked man chortled, noticing the tattoos on the scientists forearms. “Incredible. We’re looking for people such as yourself… If you’re interested?” 

“People like myself? As in – sirens? Or? -”

“Yes.” The bandit replied, now staring intently at Tannis. “The Children of the Firehawk will shelter all, yes, but some – some more than others.”

Moze’s eyes were drawn to the brand on the man’s chest, a perfect replica of the brand that had now been etched across the surface of Elpis. “Children of the Firehawk?” The gunner laughed. “I think you’re missing the point here, pal. Lilith wasn’t a bandit, she -”

“Who Lilith was is irrelevant.” The man interrupted. “All that matters now is who the next firehawk will be. As her children we will guide her and burn her name among the stars!” The man laughed maniacally. 

“What are you talking about?”

“Your ‘Lilith’” The man scoffed, disgust in his voice as he emphasized the siren’s name. “Had enough power to stop a rampaging moon. The next firehawk will be even stronger… With time.”

Moze, knowing that Tyreen had her back, had come to the realization that she could turn the tide of the battle before it even started, but she had to be tactful. A simple verbal slip-up and Tyreen’s orders in good faith could be misconstrued as the vault hunters’ using her as leverage. “What? Already over your god-queen?” She scoffed. 

“A god that bleeds is no god at all!” The psycho burst. “No, Tyreen has served her purpose, unifying us, and now we will rally across the stars in the name of the new firehawk!” 

“New firehawk? Stronger with time?” Tannis asked. “Your Tyreen and Troy were the only sirens to leech since Nyriad.” The siren frowned. “But their powers died with them, so how exactly does YOUR alleged firehawk even hope to gain more -”

“Oh, all will be revealed in time.” The man replied, matter-of-factly. “In the meantime… You should prepare yourselves. Submit or burn in the name of the firehawk. None will stand in her way as the stars are alit by-”

“What do you want?” Moze interrupted angrily. 

“All we want is to inform you.” The psycho remarked malevolently. “Join us or burn in the storm.” And before any further inquiry could be made, the screen shut off. 

“Ok, that was creepy.” Ava chuckled nervously, quickly noticing that the lights had just turned back on in the room. 

As quickly as the lights had turned on, Moze had begun to receive a call on her ECHO from the barkeep. “Moxxi, we just -”

“Sugar, there’s no time to explain! We all need to get back to Sanctuary ASAP!” 

“Why? What’s going on? Did Tyreen -”

“Tyreen’s fine, hon. It’s Nekrotafeyo! We -”

“Someone just opened up almost a dozen vaults on Nekrotafeyo, vault hunter!” Rhys’s scream interjected. “We need to go stop this, right now!”

With no time to process all that had transpired, Moze released a weary sigh. Hell was once again breaking loose upon the galaxy, and they had been too late to stop it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the 4th DLC did absolute nothing to hinder the progress of my story, but it did give me a couple ideas with the lore of the universe that I will DEFINITELY be incorporating into the story later down the road. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope you are all doing well! Thank you guys so much for all the love and support, and as always, stay safe! <3


	15. The Firehawk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> October is coming soon! And with it, Halloween! Naturally, it only feels fair to include a chapter that fits the theme of the season, so expect that some time in the following weeks! Anyways, I hope all of you are staying safe, and I hope you enjoy!

All of the vault hunters on The Jackpot had made their way back to Sanctuary, save for Rhys who had headed back to Promethea upon discovering that the ghost who had haunted him for so long still remained buried. 

The two teams had made their way to the bridge of the ship as Sanctuary jumped to hyperspace, Moxxi calling as many vault hunters as she could to rally against the threat of the Children of the Firehawk. Dozens of holo-screens flashed across the bridge, each one filled with the faces of friends and allies, all anxious to come up with a plan of attack. 

“Eleven vaults?!” Wainwright Jakobs choked, his image displayed alongside his husband Hammerlock. “Now there’s a hunt if I’ve ever heard one! How exactly are we planning on stopping all those rampaging monsters on the loose? And who in the Sam-hell did this anyways?!”

“They call themselves The Children of the Firehawk.” Moxxi replied, folding her arms. “But right now we need to focus on putting those things down!” 

A hearty laugh resonated from another screen, prominently displaying the images of The B-Team, Tina, Mordecai, and Brick. “This sounds very much like a problem that can be punched!” Brick laughed. “Just tell us where ya need us, Moxxi!”

“Nekrotafeyo.” Moxxi replied. “Eleven vaults, but not enough vault hunters, even with almost all of us here on call.” The barkeep’s tone becoming somber.

“What are you talkin’ about?!” Brick laughed. “It’s all how ya look at things! See look…” The brawler began pointing to his team “Tina is one, Mordecai is two, Then there’s me as three-” The man continued, pulling up both of his fists. “Four and five! See?! We’ve got more than enough!” 

Another laugh burst from the screen adjacent to The B-Team’s. “The chinchilla bonfire rages!” Krieg’s voice erupted. 

“Awh! It’s good to hear from ya, big guy!” Gaige shouted through her ECHO device. 

“Guys listen!” Moze called, interrupting the overlapping conversations of her numerous companions. “The point Moxxi’s trying to make is we need to pick our teams wisely, because NONE of us are gonna have a full team of four.” 

“Zane and I have been doing just fine on our own.” Amara replied bitterly though another holo-screen, the Irishman waving to Moze in the background. “I’m sure we can make do.”

“Then it’s settled!” Moxxi replied. “Choose your teams, select your targets, and when this is all done the drinks are one me!” 

Cheers burst through on all the screens, followed by multiple overlapping conversations as everyone tried to determine how they were to pair off. The gunner, wishing to reunite with her old team realized that that was no longer an option. She had desperately wanted to respect Amara’s wishes of having some space, and the fact of the matter was that she was right, for the siren and the operative did make a hell of a team. Fl4k had already stated that their team would consist of all their pets, meaning there was a chance she was going to have to take on a vault monster with nothing but Iron Bear. 

As she wandered back to her quarters, however, she quickly found herself running right into one Tyreen Calypso. Bumping into the woman’s back, the siren angrily turned around. “Hey watch where you’re going, you little – ” Quickly realizing who had bumped into her the taller woman’s tone softened. “Oh, hey vault thief, what’s up?”

The gunner realized that she had just stumbled into the perfect vault hunter. A siren who could leech the power of a vault monster was the perfect partner, and it would grant her more time out of the ship. It was a win/win, but above all else, it provided her with some alone time with her crush. “There’s a hungry vault monster with our name’s on it.” Moze winked. “You in?” 

“You are my little gun-slut, aren’t you?” The siren beamed. “I’m in!” Her heart racing with anticipation. Her thoughts drifting towards all the opportunities that she had with this mission. It was a chance to prove herself to the team, therefore getting everyone to quit nagging her, it was a chance to leech a vault monster, her urge for power now being satiated by the energy of an alien god, and above all else, a chance to spend time with the woman who had saved her. 

But as the two women wandered back to their room they were quickly intercepted by another siren. Ava. “Going somewhere, you two?” The younger woman grinned.

“Ava, seriously?” Moze questioned exhaustedly. “After –”

“Just be safe, you guys.” Ava interjected. “I still don’t trust you.” The siren remarked, glaring at Tyreen who was now bearing her teeth in response. “But – but Moze is ok, and if you hurt her, I swear to god, I’ll -”

“Easy there, pumpkin!” The older siren laughed. “If I wanted to leech Moze then I -”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.” The blue haired girl replied sternly, quickly diverting her attention back to the soldier. “I’m staying with Tannis to make sure she doesn’t get captured or something.” She laughed. “You know how it is.”

Moze smiled in response and gently patted the girl on the back. “Watch each other’s backs.” Continuing their walk back to their room, she couldn’t help but notice a large grin spread out on her crush’s face. “Oh, what are you smiling about?” 

“Nothin,’ superfan.” The taller woman chuckled. “Just noticing you’ve got a way with sirens is all.”

“What are you talking about?” Moze replied curiously.

“I mean, you fucked Amara. Nicely done by the way, dug the abs." Tyreen laughed. "Ava, hated you, now look at you two! - Tannis... Don’t know what her deal is, but she seems to like you!” 

“And you?” Moze asked, the blush that seemed to appear every time she talked with the siren appearing on her face.

“Me?” Tyreen questioned, desperately trying to come up with a response that would properly mask her true feelings, quickly realizing that while brutal honesty had its perks and made for great streaming, it was disastrous for maintaining relationships. “What can I say? You’re my little gun-slut.” She continued, pinching the gunner’s cheeks. 

Flustered by the siren’s response, and quickly realizing that two could play at this game. She decided Tyreen needed a slightly demeaning nickname of her own. “Ok, kiska.” 

“Excuse me?” The taller woman replied with confusion in her voice, prompting an enormous grin from the soldier.

“I said ok, Kiska. What do you think I -”

“What does that mean?!” Tyreen burst with confusion. 

“Well…” The ex-Vladof soldier chuckled. “Seeing as how moody you can be, and with how much bigger your personality is than your body, it just makes -”

“I am three times your height! I have been, and always will be, taller than you!” The siren interjected incredulously. 

“Kiska means kitten.” Moze winked, watching as the siren stared at her with a look of pain on her face. 

“Kitten?! I am a god-queen! Who do you think -”

“Kiska, kiska, listen…” The gunner laughed, patting Tyreen on the back. “You’re just proving my point.”

“Where did you even get that from?!” Tyreen questioned with disgust in her voice.

“Yuri, a friend from my old squad, called his girlfriend -” Quickly realizing her mistake, forgetting that at the end of the day, Kiska was a term of endearment, began to turn as red as a tomato. 

“Girlfriend?” The siren blushed.

Quickly trying to change the subject from her slip-up, Moze continued, now guiding Tyreen into their room. “See? Typical kiska. One second you wanna kill me, the next –”

“Oh, whatever.” The siren spat, watching as Moze proceeded to perform some sort of maintenance on the railgun in the corner of their room. 

“Quit your whining and get ready!” The vault hunter barked, noticing that the soft hum of Sanctuary’s hyperdrive had just deactivated. “We’re here, boots on the ground in 15 minutes!”

This kind of backtalk was liable to get anyone killed back in the COV. None of those sycophants would dare even consider to condescend Tyreen in such a way, but for some reason, the siren had come to enjoy it. With a repressed grin, the taller woman nodded, and prepped for their mission. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The galaxy might have been a horrendous place filled with psychos, giant monsters, malevolent alien races, and dictators desperately rising to fill up what felt like a never-ending line of power vacuums, but the developments in both science and technology were astounding. Faster than light travel via spacecraft, and the revolutionary fast-travel-net had allowed vault hunters from all across the galaxy to rendezvous at their designated meetup sites on Nekrotafeyo within minutes. Each team had been assigned for the sole purpose of defeating each and every vault monster that had been awakened by the Children of the Firehawk, and preventing any cultists from obtaining the weapons and technology that had resided inside those vaults. 

Tyreen and Moze had promptly arrived at their designated vaults, readying for combat, the siren eagerly waiting for another rush of power, but there was one problem. The vault, and its monster, were nowhere to be found. 

The gunner’s ECHO device had indicated that a large burst of both radiation and eridium had just erupted below the desert planet’s surface, readings that were only ever seen during the opening of a vault, but try as they might, there was no evidence in sight that the Eridians even had a presence in this location.

The two women had wandered deep into a cave, making their way deeper and deeper guided by the crystals that shone like azure colored stars all around them, finally stopping at a single chamber. The room itself, though deep in the surface of the planet, shone bright as day by the boulder-sized crystals, and a large glowing pond illuminated by the bioluminescent microorganisms that had made it their home. The entire place was beautiful, and upon seeing that Tyreen had sat down to soak in the sight, Moze couldn’t help but join her. 

“I used to come here with Troy ALL the time.” Tyreen commented somberly, her gaze transfixed into the pond. “Never woulda thought there was actually a vault down here.”

“You and your brother found this place all by yourselves?” Moze inquired curiously. 

“No.” The siren replied, softly shaking her head. “Mom showed us. The perks of having parents who were absolute archeology geeks, I guess.” She added with a sigh.

Moze smiled, failing at trying to imagine what a young Tyreen Calypso was like. “This where you used to daydream about taking over the universe?” The gunner chuckled.

“Not taking it over, vault-thief, just… seeing it.” The siren replied, no trace of humor in her voice. “Troy and I would come in here, surrounded by these – stars.” Tyreen commented, pointing to all of the shining crystals illuminating the ceiling. “And pretend that we were just, in a ship, getting the hell of this dump.”

“Was it really that bad?” The soldier questioned sadly. “Typhon didn’t seem like that bad of a - ”

“He locked us up in this cage for years!” Tyreen hissed, turning to glare at the shorter woman, but quickly softening her tone and expression upon realizing her outburst. “I’m sorry – I – I’m not good at this.” She chuckled awkwardly. 

Moze smiled softly, placing her hand atop the siren’s. “It’s okay. Honestly, it’s just weird hearing you apologize – for anything.” 

“Don’t get used to it, gun-slut.” The taller woman quipped, a grin now forming on her face. “You’re just lucky I ALMOST respect you.” 

“Oh, almost?” Moze guffawed. 

“You’re a bit of a badass – I’ll give you that, soldier girl.” The taller woman chuckled. “But don’t get cocky, you’re still nowhere near being a goddess like me.” 

“I beat you.” Moze replied confidently. “What does that say about me?” 

“Big talk from suuuch a smaaalll vault hunter.” Tyreen replied, turning to loom over her crush. “You’re not so tough without your mech.” 

“Oh, bite me!” Moze chuckled. 

“Time and place, vault hunter.” Tyreen grinned, watching someone stare at her for the first time in her life, not with fear or repugnance, but with genuine joy and pleasure in her eyes. 

The two women began to chuckle, realizing the oddness of their circumstances, but were quickly interrupted by a large rumble that had begun to shake the cave, dust and small crystal shards falling from the ceiling of the cavern. 

“Where’s the vault, Tyreen?!” Moze yelped, startled by the earthquake, and quickly trying to draw the siren’s attention from the fact that she had gotten so startled.

“We're here!” The siren erupted. “I can FEEL the energy of a vault here, but – ”

“But what?” The gunner interjected.

“But just look around!” Tyreen shouted, throwing her arms into the air. “Do you see a vault? I don’t! But your ECHO says there’s one here, and I FEEL one here, so guess what?! We’re here!” 

Quickly sitting back down next to the siren, Moze folded her arms, staring back at the pond. “So what are we supposed to do? Everyone else is probably fighting for their lives right now and we’re just -”

“Are you seriously gonna tell me you couldn’t use a break?” The siren sighed, continuing to stare back out to the pond. 

“I can’t – I’ve never taken a break! We didn’t have breaks with Vladof, and vault hunters don’t-”

“Well that certainly explains a lot.” Tyreen interrupted with a scoff. “Even I used to stop and smell the meat-flavored roses every now and then.”

“What the fuck is a meat-flavored rose?” Moze questioned.

“Bandits offer the weirdest tributes. Troy and I made a top 25 weirdest tributes stream once, if you want I -”

“As much fun as watching you and your brother running a murder cult sounds…” Moze interjected. “Gonna pass, thanks.” 

The siren turned to stare at the shorter woman, tilting her head, before returning her gaze back to the pond. “Your loss, vault thief.” 

Moze, simultaneously wanting to discover the vault, but also wanting to savor the moment with Tyreen, scanned the room with her eyes, and continued to inquire more about the life of her crush. “So… I know you weren’t the closest with Typhon…” Moze remarked. “But your mom?... You-”

“I loved mom.” Tyreen interrupted, sadness seeping into her voice. “Now, SHE was a vault hunter.” 

Without hesitation, Moze couldn’t help herself from speaking her mind. “I really wish you just became a vault hunter instead of all –”

“Me too.” The siren interjected, once again turning to gaze at the soldier whose attention was still drawn to scanning the cave. Thinking of all that she had done in what practically felt like a past-life, Tyreen began to recall the numerous events of her past. Unspeakable horrors and anguish all caused by the voice of her command, began to drown her in feelings of regret, regret that she desperately wished to get rid of. Turning her thoughts to some of the happier moments of her life, the siren was hit with a sudden epiphany. “No fucking away.” Tyreen remarked softly with disbelief. 

“What is it?” The gunner replied with awe, watching as her crush proceeded to stand up and close her eyes.

“Moze.” Tyreen replied sternly. “If you tell anyone, ESPECIALLY Moxxi, about what I’m about to do… I will murder you.” A threat she genuinely would have followed through on were this person anyone but the vault hunter.

“I, uh, what -”

Before the soldier could finish her inquiry, she was interrupted by her crush who had begun to sing in a tone that was almost a whisper. 

“Lost little siren in the dark. Follow the stars and trust your heart. Close your eyes and have no fear. I love you Tyreen, my dear.” As the siren sang her lullaby, she had begun to make her way towards one of the cave walls, until she was driven by an urge to reach out. Slowly reaching out towards the wall of the cave, the siren placed her hand on it until the chamber began to shake. 

“What did you do, Tyreen?” Moze questioned with concern, readying her weapon.

“I don’t fucking know! I wasn’t even sure this would work! I –”

Before the two women could continue any further, the wall Tyreen had made contact with quickly slid open, the door to the vault, had in fact, been in front of their faces the entire time. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wandering into the new opening of the cave, however, the vault hunter had made a horrifying observation, the monster that had once been sealed inside this vault, was already dead. The corpse of the eridian prisoner was massive, a bizarre Frankenstein-esque combination of a kraggon and a bullymong stretched across the floor. “This place was locked up!” Moze burst with concern. “Who killed this thing? How -”

“And where’s all the eridium?!” Tyreen interjected, frantically searching the rubble that had been created, presumably in the battle with the behemoth. 

The gunner, quickly realizing the oddity of such a realization couldn’t help but address her crush’s observation. “What are you talking about?” 

“Vaults are filled with the stuff! You should know that better than anyone!” The siren replied with disappointment. 

“Someone is gonna have a field day with Crazy Earl.” Moze laughed nervously, trying to ascertain what was transpiring. Gazing around the vault, however, it all became clear. “Tyreen, when Lilith died… Someone had to get her powers, including teleportation.” They could’ve zoomed in here, killed the monster, and gotten out without breaking a sweat!”

“See?!” Tyreen laughed. “Wouldn’t the galaxy have been a much safer place if you just let me keep Lil’s powers instead of forcing me to give em back to save some dumb moon?”

Moze scoffed in disbelief that this was truly the stance that her crush had settled on. “Pandora would’ve been completely destroyed in the impact too, Tyreen!” 

“There are like … A bajillion planets out there! Who cares if -”

“We were still on it!” Moze burst. “You’re missing the point! The Children of the Firehawk have a siren! And clearly, she’s strong enough to kill a vault monster by herself!” 

“Plus, she’s been juicin’ up on eridium. Now there’s a chick I can vibe with.” Tyreen smiled, but quickly losing it upon realizing what it meant to her own followers. “Wait – what do you mean ‘Children of the Firehawk?’”

“It’s exactly what it sounds like.” Moze frowned. “Apparently, most of your followers are now following this new Firehaw-”

“Oh, those disloyal little bitches!” Tyreen spat. “You host a couple dozen ‘Let’s Flays’ together, and what do your people do? Betray you! Unbelievable.” The siren continued with a scoff.

“You’ve got new people now.” Moze smiled softly, watching as Tyreen began to stare at the corpse of the vault monster, her eyes ravenous with hunger.

“Will ‘these people’ let me eat? I’m fucking starving!” Tyreen pleaded, turning to her crush in an attempt to display her restraint.

The soldier, knowing they’d need every advantage they could in the coming fight, gave a single nod, and watched as the siren leeched the ancient monster until all that remained was a pile of dust. “I will never understand how you’re just OKAY with this.” Moze remarked dryly. 

Tyreen, now stretching her back as if she had just finished eating a large meal, beamed with satisfaction. “And you never will. Trust me – It’s a lot less awkward when you’re leeching people, it -”

“NO! No!” The gunner immediately interjected. “It’s definitely not! Now let’s just… Get going… Our friends -”

“Your friends.” Tyreen corrected.

“Fine, my friends need us.”

“Attagirl, sugar. Let’s-”

The gunner, quickly realizing Tyreen’s choice of words, couldn’t resist poking fun at her. “Did you just call me ‘sugar?’” She asked with a chuckle. “For someone who claims not to be friends with any of these people it sure does feel like Moxxi is-”

“She says it all the time, and she’s kind of been encouraging it at the bar, don’t make a thing out of it!” The siren interjected grumpily, making her way out of the cave. 

Moze chortled with delight as she thought of the god-queen’s transition from cult leader to customer service and proceeded to follow the taller woman out of the cave. Their exit was filled with silence until they had reached the surface, Moze’s ECHO loudly ringing with distress signals from the numerous teams of vault hunters spread across the planet.

“She’s here!” Hammerlock’s voice called from the device. “Anyone in the area, please help us! She’s -” Before the hunter’s calls for help could finish, however, his signal was cut off. Static now loudly resonating from the gunner’s ECHO. 

Quickly making their way to the nearest Fast-Travel station, Tyreen and Moze braced themselves, and digistructed to the hunter’s last known location.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The soldier and the siren had, for all intents and purposes, managed to spawn into what looked like a mass grave. Corpses of Eridian constructs, guardians over the numerous vaults throughout the galaxies, laid sprawled out across the floor. In this battle between bandits, a vault monster, eridians, and Hammerlock’s team, only three survivors remained: Wainwright Jakobs, Hammerlock, and a tall, blonde, tattooed woman who none of the vault hunters had ever seen before, the new firehawk. 

“You are, and I hope you’ll forgive my language.” Wainwright Jakobs spoke frankly, clearly addressing the stranger as he stood beside his husband. “Batshit crazy.” 

The blonde woman smiled, no traces of anger or concern plastered upon her face, and spoke. “My child. It is not your language that offends me, but your heresy.” Her accented voice using the softness that one would use when speaking to a small child. “Please, reconsider my offer, I -”

But before she could continue, she was interrupted by the sight of Moze and Tyreen, who had now fully digistructed into view.

“Get the hell away from my friends!” Moze shouted, now aiming her rifle at the blonde’s forehead. 

The firehawk’s expression turned from what appeared to be almost bliss to one of shock as she made eye contact with Tyreen. “The god-queen? I – ahem, forgive such dated colloquialisms.” The young woman fumbled awkwardly. “Calypso? You live?”

Tyreen squinted her eyes, trying to determine who this stranger was, and quickly realized who she was talking too. “Hey! I know you!” The siren burst enthusiastically. “Saw you at Carnivora a few years ago! It's always weird seeing someone as hot as you was living with bandits, but -”

“Ah, yes -” The shorter siren interrupted, sadness seeping into her melodious voice. “I believe that was the day you had my parents… How did you phrase it? … Oh, yes, “Prepped for the skag barbeque.” Teardrops slowly began to form in her eyes as she continued. “One could argue that it would only be fit if you suffered the same fate? An eye for an eye, as it were?” 

“Take it easy!” Tyreen laughed. “Let’s let bygones be bygones, y’know?! Just – back away from the old dudes, and -”

“I agree with you, Calypso.” The siren interjected matter-of-factly. “That is the difference between us. I have room in my heart to forgive those who have crossed me, provided that you kneel before me and repent. In time, you may even become a trusted and beloved -”

“Oh, get a load of this bitch!” Tyreen laughed with disbelief, walking towards the shorter siren. “Who the hell do you think you are?!”

The blonde turned to face Moze, unfazed by the expletives and threats uttered by Tyreen, and slowly approached her. “Oh, you are beautiful!” The siren smiled, her voice filled with jubilation. 

Moze, confounded by what was happening refused to lower her gun, and began assessing the siren who was now proceeding to approach her. The woman was young, shockingly beautiful, and was garbed in a white robe that made her look as if she was about to go to a Bloody Harvest party rather than a battle. Her sky-blue eyes lit up as brightly as her smile which exposed her pearly-white teeth, a feature that was practically nonexistent in this part of the galaxy. 

The siren now stood almost arms-length away from the gunner, but before she could get any closer, she was halted by the angry call of the former war-criminal. “Get away from her!” Tyreen spat, unable to restrain the concern in her voice.

“Unlike you, Calypso, I do not find joy in the pain of others.” The blonde replied, pausing before she could brush a stray strand of hair out of the gunner’s face. “May I?” She asked the gunner, towering over the vault hunter.

“Erm – go ahead.” Moze answered, lowering her gun upon the realization that both Wainwright and Hammerlock had their rifle’s firmly locked onto the back of the stranger’s head. 

The siren smiled and nodded as she gently brushed the strand of hair from the soldier’s face, her siren tattoos clearly on display. “You are remarkable.” The taller woman grinned. “All of that pain and loss, and still you strive to be more than you are. Kindness is rare in this part of the galaxy.”

Moze eyed up the siren, still trying to ascertain what the hell was going on. “Thanks, um – who – who are you, and what exactly is happening here?” The gunner asked, desperately searching for answers. 

“Ah, introductions, forgive me! Where are my manners?” The siren chuckled softly. “I am Ramona Delisle, and it is my solemn duty to make this universe a better place. And what is your name exactly, vault hunter?” 

The joy and whimsicality of the siren’s voice was unsettling juxtaposed next to the bloodbath that had formed amid the battle, and Moze tried her best to appear unfazed. “I’m, uh… Moze. Moserah Hayussinian Yan-Lun al-Amir Andreyevna, Vladof, Ursa-Corp, uh… Ex Ursa-Corp, and -”

Ramona chuckled playfully, interrupting the vault hunter’s introduction. “Ursa-Corp you say? I never thought I would meet a Vladof soldier who was so… beautiful.” The siren’s smiling eyes met the shorter woman’s, causing Moze to feel as if she was in some sort of dream.

A blush began to form on the vault hunter’s face as she tried to find the right words. “Um, nice to meet you, Ramona…” She chuckled awkwardly. “But, uh, what exactly are you doing killing vault monsters, and -”

“Ah, yes…” The siren now frowned, turning to gaze at the pile of death and despair. “So many of my children lost – They will be mourned, and would be delighted knowing they died for the enlightenment of -”

The woman with the wheat colored hair immediately turned in horror upon discovering that Tyreen was now laughing at her despair. “Enlightenment?!” Tyreen guffawed. “Bandits? Lady – You must be getting high off all that eridium you’ve been -”

“Your mistake!” Ramona interjected with authority. “Is seeing others, especially the bandits, as lost causes.”

“Have you talked to a bandit?!” The taller siren laughed. “You can’t -”

“Where you ruled with terror and bloodshed, I will rule with mercy and -”

“And what do you call this?!” Tyreen interrupted once again, pointing to the wreckage of the battle. “Because it sure doesn’t look like rainbows and sunshine or whatever you’re preaching, lady!” 

The firehawk, frowned. “The casualties will decrease exponentially as soon as I have consumed all the eridium in the system.” Now turning to face the gunner, Ramona smiled. “As a matter of fact, you could say that my agenda consists of becoming a bit of a vault hunter myself.”

“I’m sorry, honey!” Tyreen hissed. “But the role of god-queen is taken.”

“What exactly are you going to do if you get all that eridium?” Moze asked with concern.

“Forgive me, Moserah, but I am a bit behind on my quota, I do hope you understand!” Ramona grinned, clearly hiding something. “It appears I must be on my way now! It was a pleasure making your acquaintance, and I do hope you consider the proposition I have offered your friends as well, I am sure they would be more than happy to -”

“Ramona, wait!” Moze burst.

But before she could continue any further the siren burst into flames, teleporting to some unknown location, the entirety of the cosmos at her fingertips.

The vault hunters and Tyreen quickly exchanged glances before their silence was interrupted by Sir Hammerlock. “Vault hunter! Are you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m okay. Are you guys -”

“We’re alright too, thank you, vault hunter!” Wainwright interjected. “But I believe we have more important matters to attend too right now.” And with that comment, all heads were now promptly facing Tyreen, who had met their stares with a look of shock. 

“What the hell did I do?!”


	16. The Bloody Harvest (AKA) The Spoopy Halloween Chapter

The Night of the Bloody Harvest

“Tyreen!” Moze screamed with terror, watching as her crush was dragged across the floor, an invisible phantom quickly pulling her into one of Sanctuary’s walls. “Grab my hand! Hurry, I -”

The sound of the siren’s fingernails grating into the floor was unbearable as she desperately tried to stop herself from being dragged away. Her body was now somehow halfway phased into the wall itself, only her torso visible as she was pulled into the wall. “Moze, please!” She screamed, quickly being pulled deeper into the wall. “I -” 

But before the siren could continue any further it was already too late. She was gone. 

Feeling the weight of all her failure’s that had transpired over the past few days, the gunner fell to her knees and began to weep.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Three Days Earlier

Following their encounter with the mysterious new siren, the vault hunters had come to realize that they were all too late. The vaults of Nekrotafeyo had been plundered, and their respective vault monsters slain. It was a devastating loss. Even unified, nearly the entirety of the Crimson Raiders were hopeless to stop the blonde and her cult. With no further leads, and now left with more questions than answers, the motley group realized that all they could do now was wait. Their mission was adjourned, and the vault hunters went their separate ways. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Two Days Earlier

The Bloody Harvest was coming, a day full of tricks and treats that even the most morose of vault hunters could come to enjoy was approaching, and the residents of Sanctuary had begun to decorate their home, candles and rakk-o-lanterns illuminated the halls, purple and orange streamers adorned on nearly every corner of the ship. It was a time of celebration for the crew, to distract them from all the horrid events that had transpired, but something was amiss. Somewhere, within the bowels of the ship. An evil force lurked, waiting for its moment to strike. 

Many of the ship’s more prominent members had left for the Jackpot for a grand “Bloody Harvest Ball” that was to be held in the casino the following night, leaving a small skeleton crew, and a few of the more introverted crewmates, to remain aboard the ship. 

It had been awhile since Moze had had a day to herself, and thinking of her conversation with Tyreen, she decided that she did deserve some R&R. After a day of performing maintenance on bear and catnapping, however, she decided that it was finally time to get some action and decided to patrol the ship. Sanctuary was uncharacteristically quiet since most of its occupants had disembarked, the only audible sounds being the soft hum of the ship’s engine and the steaming of heat pipes, as opposed to the miscellaneous sound of laughter, shouting, and conversation. It was all a bit unnerving to the vault hunter until she heard profanity emanating from Tannis’s lab. Quickly bursting into the room, the gunner was shocked to find both Fl4k and the scientist gathered around some lab equipment that appeared to have exploded. “Uh, are you two alright? Not going to the ball tomorrow?” 

“Oh, we are doing splendid!” Tannis chuckled. “Just performing some experiments! Far more entertaining than some … party!” The siren scoffed. 

“Dr. Tannis is still concerned that her projectile nosebleeds will startle everyone the way they did at last year’s Bloody Harvest Festival.” Fl4k remarked.

“Oh, that is… nonsense! Really!” The siren frowned. “I assure you, Moxxi even offered to ‘roll in the hay’ with me after the festival! And that is despite the fact that I had bled on her so profusely it looked like she took a bath in tomato soup!” The sirentist burst proudly. “And now, I know what you’re thinking, rolling in hay does seem a bit childish, which is exactly why I denied her requests to -”

Moze choked upon hearing Moxxi’s proposition to the siren. “Tannis… I don’t think rolling in the hay means what you -” But before she could continue to inform the scientist of what the phrase had actually meant, she had noticed that her robotic friend was now angrily shaking their head, an attempt to stop her from explaining further. “Y’know what? – never – never mind… If you guys are ok, I’m just gonna be on my way then.” 

Quickly giving a two-finger salute, the gunner quickly made a rush for the door and left the room. Continuing along her patrol she noticed that Maurice had opened up a portal using some sort of interdimensional device, blood-curling screams emanating from the gateway. “Maurice! What the hell are you doing?! Where does that portal -”

“Xylourgos!” The saurian cheered, a strange orange-ish substance dripping down his fangs. “Mancubus is to host this year's … Candy Corn festival… AND MAURICE NEVER MISSES A FESTIVAL.” 

“I – have – so many questions… but y’know what? I’ll – leave you to it!” Moze replied anxiously. 

“Maurice wishes you a Happy Bloody Harvest, warm blood.” The alien replied, tilting his head and baring his fangs, the best attempt of forming a smile that a saurian was capable of.

Waving goodbye, the soldier once again proceeded with her patrol until she found herself in front of Moxxi’s. Taking a quick peek inside she had noticed that the bar was uncharacteristically empty, the sole occupant being a single siren whose face was firmly planted against the bar’s countertop. 

“Someone is really feeling the Bloody Harvest spirit!” Moze chuckled. “How long have you been playing dead here for?” The gunner replied, taking a seat at the bar.

Tyreen groaned, slowly raising her head to make eye contact with the vault hunter. “All the regulars are in the Jackpot.” The siren scoffed. “You are literally my first customer of the entire day!” She remarked, picking up a glass. “I have washed the dishes three times over! I mean look at how clean this is! I -”

“Well!...” Moze chuckled. “You’ve got a customer now! Will the god-queen bless me with something to drink?” 

“Comin’ right up.” Tyreen winked, quickly getting to work on making some sort of drink.

“You didn’t even get my order, dude.” Moze remarked with confusion. Watching as her crush had proceeded to mix some ingredients together as if she had been doing it her entire life.

“Just – trust me, vault hunter.” The siren replied softly. 

Moze smiled, watching as her crush made her a drink. Some sort of old Bloody Harvest music played softly over the bar’s stereo system as the two women enjoyed each other’s company. 

Turning to face the vault hunter, Tyreen presented her with a drink. A small glass filled with ice and an amethyst colored liquid now sat atop the countertop, waiting to be consumed. “Here you go.” The taller woman beamed. 

“Is – is that -”

“An eridium cocktail, yeah.” The siren smiled proudly. “No actual eridium, obviously, it’s just named that because of the color, but -”

“I’ve always wanted to try one of these!” The gunner chuckled, quickly taking a sip, a soft moan escaping her lips as she sampled the drink. “How did you know I -”

“I – overheard you talking about it once when you used to come in here with Amara.” Tyreen replied, a blush beginning to form in her cheeks. “So, I asked Moxxi to learn how to make one so she could teach me – I -”

“Thank you!” Moze responded, instantly regretting how overenthusiastic her reply was. “That’s – that’s really sweet of you.” She continued, taking another sip of her drink. 

Both women sat in silence trying to find the right words amidst this sudden moment of tenderness, until it was broken by the blue-eyed woman. “I – I never really got to thank you for… y’know… everything.” 

Moze proceeded to take another sip of her drink and raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

The siren froze, quickly brushing her hair out of her face, reminding herself of what used to be her brother’s incessant habit. “All of my life – all my life I’ve been chasing a dream – and like, y’know, with hindsight, I realize how stupid, and selfish, and -”

“and evil?” Moze quickly interjected.

“And evil, yes, shut up!” Tyreen stammered nervously. “Look – I spent years with the church, and sure, yeah, I was being worshipped or whatever, and that’s SUPPOSED to feel good, right? Having millions of people at your beck and call, Troy at my side, we were literally unstoppable!” The siren laughed sadly. “But then I met you, and – and for the first time in my life since I lost mom, I started having doubts…”

“About?” The soldier inquired, putting her drink down to give her crush her full attention. 

“About – about everything! I – from the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew my life was in for a big change. I knew I had to stop you, if I was ever gonna win… And then you started fighting back, REALLY fighting back. Against everything.” The siren grinned, her eyes beaming with pride. “Bandits, vault monsters, Maliwan… me…”

“Enjoy me kicking your ass?” Moze smiled softly.

The taller woman smiled in turn, leaning on the countertop. “I didn’t like it, smartass – but - I needed it… And when you beat me? I mean, at that point I had lost everything. My mom, my brother, the goddamned destroyer. I didn’t think things could get any worse -”

“And then I inadvertently got you locked up in solitary confinement for a month.” Moze chuckled guiltily, reaching to scratch the back of her head but stopping upon the realization that she still had her helmet on. 

“Yeah.” Tyreen smiled sadly, now turning her gaze to the countertop of the bar. “That gave me a lot of time to think, and – I mean, if you tell anyone I’m telling you this! -”

“Tyreen!” The gunner interjected sternly. 

“Sorry, sorry… Look - I regret it. All of it… But you know what?” The siren questioned, raising her head to make eye contact with the vault hunter. “After losing everything, after being the shittiest person in existence – you – you saved my life. You gave me this.” She continued gesturing to the bar. “A chance at an ALMOST normal life, you kept me company, hell! It's almost like I have both of my arms back thanks to you!” Tyreen burst, admiring the pattern on her prosthetic. “And I just – what I’m trying to say is… Thank you, Moze.”

Gazing into the taller woman’s eyes, the gunner could feel her eyes beginning to water, and naturally decided to follow her instincts. Swiftly hopping over the countertop, much to the surprise of the siren, she had begun to embrace her crush with a tight hug. 

“I’m really glad you’re here.” Moze replied gently, her face resting against the siren's shoulder.

Tyreen, savoring every second of this moment closed her eyes, and hugged the vault hunter in turn. “I am too.” 

It was to their great displeasure, however, that this moment was cut short by the shouts of one of Sanctuary’s residents. “There she is!” Spat a horrified woman, pitchfork in hand as she entered the bar. “The killer!” 

Tyreen released Moze from her embrace and groaned. “Look – I’m sorry, ok? But I haven’t hurt anyone in more than a year. You guys -”

“Over a year?!” The woman burst incredulously. “We just found Jeb’s body ten minutes ago!”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The woman led both the siren and the soldier to one of the ship’s dormitories. Inside, lay what only could be described as human remains after being thrown into a garbage compactor, fed to a rabid pack of skags, and then left to compost for a week. 

Two more of Sanctuary’s residents had come to join the witch hunt, torches illuminating the hatred now plastered on their faces over the loss of one of their crewmates. “Your siren friend eats people to live!” The terrified woman shouted. “She’s the only one who could have done this!” 

“Whoah, whoah, whoah!” Tyreen burst. “Time out, lady! First of all, I don’t actually eat people. I leech people. I know this might be hard for you to understand, but they’re two different -”

“Leech, eat, doesn’t matter!” The woman shouted. “The fact of the matter is that the only person on this ship who would kill a fellow crewmate is you!” She screamed, aiming the tips of her pitchfork towards the siren’s neck. 

Moze quickly lowered the accuser’s pitchfork with her hand and jumped in between the two women. “Calm down! I can vouch for Tyreen. We were both in the bar for -”

“You’ve kept an eye on her all day?” The woman inquired skeptically. 

“Well, no – I’ve been enjoying some R&R, I – Wait a minute!” Moze burst. “How do we know that YOU didn’t kill this person? How and when exactly did you stumble upon the body? And how exactly, do you know that this pile of meat is even Jeb to begin with?! Hm?” 

“First of all! DNA testing, hon!” The older woman spat. “We live on a spaceship, there’s tech layin’ around here for everything! Secondly! Jeb’s my friend! Or well, he was my friend, before… y’know.” She replied gesturing to human the pile of mush. “We were supposed to have our Bloody Harvest ECHO-Film marathon starting this afternoon, so I called em’ up.”

“And let me guess.” The vault hunter replied folding her arms. “No reply?”

“Exactly.” The woman continued wearily. “So, I figure HEY. Maybe he just got some cheese stuck in the sink again. He did that sometimes, but then I realized – Jeb always invites me over for when those pipes burst. You think Krakatoa could blow? You shoulda seen Jeb’s cheese pipes!” The woman laughed, prompting Moze to exchange glances with her crush. “Anyways! I come to his room, and it’s sealed up tight. So, I use the emergency key he gave to me, and then I find him here!” 

“Wait a second!” The gunner exclaimed. “You’re saying the door was locked when you got here?”

“It sure was… Why do you ask?”

“And you are the ONLY person to have one of the emergency keys to his room?”

“Yup! Just me and him, and his key’s still in the drawer by his bed, I checked!”

“Then we’ve got a serious problem on our hands.” Moze replied, stroking her chin.

“What makes you say that?” 

“Because unless you’ve got a key, there’s no way to get in here once the room’s sealed.”

“Un-unless…” One of the torch-wielding residents interjected, horror seeping into his voice. 

“Unless what?” The gunner replied.

“Unless the murderer could pass through walls!” 

“Are you really saying he got killed by a ghost? Jeb’s friend replied with disbelief. 

“There are no such things as ghosts!” Moze burst with frustration. “Look – did Jeb ever make any enemies? Anyone who would want him to end up like this.” She asked, turning to stare at the meat chunks that once used to be Jeb with disgust.

“Well – Jeb still hasn’t paid of that loan he had to Marcus – ” The woman replied.

“And he’s one of the few people who hasn’t left for the ball, meaning he’s still here on the ship! Alright, we’ll go talk to him.” Moze replied, knowing full well, that while he was no stranger to killing, the gunrunner didn’t have the heart to kill someone as brutally as this. 

“Are you seriously not even gonna consider that your siren friend here didn’t -”

“I trust her with my life.” The vault hunter quickly interjected, as both she and the siren proceeded to head for the armory. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Upon entering the ship’s armory, both women were shocked to hear a loud shouting emanating from the back of the room.

“Die! You son of a bitch!” Marcus’s unmistakable voice burst from the room’s storage area. “I am going to kill you!” 

Quickly drawing her weapon, Moze hopped over the store’s counter to find Marcus who had also had his weapon drawn. “Marcus! What the hell’s going on here?!” 

“Vault hunter! What are you doing back here?!” The gunrunner burst. “I -”

“People on the ship think you killed Jeb.” Tyreen replied flatly, folding her arms. 

“Me?! What?! Why would I kill my most valued asset?” Marcus choked. “That man is to inherit his parent’s fortune once they died! By the time that happened the interest on his loan would have risen so high he would have had to pay the entirety of it to me once it came into his possession!” 

“Ok… That makes sense, but what were you doing with the gun?” Moze countered, disregarding the man’s greed for the sake of catching the killer.

“Do not tell any of my customers this…” The older man replied, lowering his voice. “But somehow, a ratch has managed to sneak its way into my fine establishment, and I intend to kill the little bastard before everybody else gets back from their little party!” He continued with a tone full of annoyance. 

“Alright.” Moze frowned. “Do you know anyone who would want to hurt -”

“It’s Maurice!” The man interjected. “That little shit tried to poison me! You remember! You delivered it!” 

“Marcus.” Moze replied as she rubbed her temples. “The only reason Maurice sent you poison was because you were so suspicious of him being nice. He only sent it because he knew you’d be happy if you had solid evidence that he was secretly a killer or something!” 

“You see?!” The gunrunner laughed. “That saurian’s personality is just hidden! Layer upon layer! Surely, you’ve seen that portal he’s been working on! Probably leads to Heck itself!”

“I have seen it, and it doesn’t lead to Heck… There’s no such thing. It leads to… Xylourgos.” Moze’s tone softened as her memories of Xylourgos flooded back upon her. The planet had been full of Eldritch horrors, interdimensional beings and mysteries that would have left even the Erdians shuddering in fear. Perhaps Marcus was right and Maurice had been behind the murder after all. He may not have intentionally killed anyone, but the fact of the matter was that a portal to that planet meant nothing but trouble. 

“Xylourgos!” Marcus laughed. “You see what I mean?! Go! The real murderer awaits -” Noticing that the lights in the room had begun to flicker, he raised his eyebrow with confusion. “See, uh, that’s probably that damned portal of his leeching all the power!” 

“Or it could be the ghost.” Tyreen replied with a mischievous grin.

“Bah! There’s no such thing as ghosts! Now, go! The sooner you stop that cold-blooded bastard the better!” 

Waving to the gunrunner, the two women made their way out of the room and Marcus continued his ratch hunt. “Where are you, you little shit.” The man snarled, his Jakobs revolver drawn and quickly noticed the lights beginning to flicker again. “Oh, chewing on the wires? Now you’re really going to pay!” Making his way to the small electrical closet in the back of the room, the man swore he could’ve heard a growl, but it was no matter, he was armed, or he would have been, were it not for the intense force quickly grabbing onto his wrist. The pain of the assault was sharp, instantly causing him to release the revolver as he tried to call out for help. Unfortunately, it was already too late, and the attack had ended just as quickly as it had begun. 

In the corner of the room, the ratch which had been plaguing the gunrunner for so long watched as the man’s seemingly lifeless body was dragged straight into the wall.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“So, you really think the dinosaur did it?” Tyreen chuckled, walking with her crush to the bridge of the ship.

“No – I – I’ll admit that it’s a possibility that something could’ve escaped from Xylourgos, but I don’t think Mancubus or Maurice would be careless enough to let that happen. But we won’t need to guess any longer. BALEX should have the security cams running 24/7, whoever went into that room, we’re gonna find em.”

“Unless it was a ghost.” The taller woman smiled. “I wonder what that would taste like? Do you think ectoplasm tastes -”

As the two women wandered onto the bridge of the ship, the gunner had realized that something was very wrong. While BALEX could operate the ship by himself, it was no surprise to find that the bridge was empty, but what was surprising was that the navigator had not greeted them upon entering the room. 

“Hey, BALEX? Buddy, you there?” Moze asked, concern now unmistakable in her voice as she approached the control panel that the AI had been installed in. 

Making her way to the computer terminal, Moze had made a shocking discovery. The plushie that had once contained the AI was completely destroyed. 

“Oh, no no no no no.” The gunner remarked with panic. She quickly picked up the remnants of the stuffed animal and began to inspect it. The plush looked as if it had been torn apart by some sort of wild animal, bite and claw marks had ravaged the plush, but all was not lost. Sticking her hand inside she had discovered that BALEX’S chip was still intact. 

“Is he alright?” Tyreen asked, worried more about her crush’s state of mind than she was for the life of anyone currently on the ship. 

“The chips still intact, but it’s definitely been damaged.” The gunner replied, plugging the chip back into the terminal. “Let’s see -”

“FUCKIN’ DINOSAUR!” BALEX’s voice loudly interjected, the AI now fully integrated back with the ship. 

“Whoah!” Moze replied in shock, just glad to hear her friend’s voice. “Are you ok? What-”

“Second time, man! Second time I’ve been attacked by a goddamned dinosaur! Even in fuckin’ space, I – ”

“Dinosaur?” The soldier inquired. “As in Maurice?” 

“Yeah! Or, well at least I think so – I’m not too sure, vault hunter.” The AI replied apprehensively. 

“What do you mean you’re not sure?” 

“I never actually… saw what happened. One second I’m here, minding my goddamned business, and the next second I’m getting chewed on! Or at least I think I was getting chewed on.”

“So, your cameras -”

“That’s just it! Cameras didn’t pick up shit! Motion sensors went off, lights flickered a bit, real fuckin’ creepy, but I didn’t see anything before the attack. It was almost as if I was attacked by-”

The navigator’s tale was quickly interrupted by the chuckle of the siren. “By a ghost?” 

“Oh, you think that’s real fuckin’ funny, don’t you? Yeah! Wait till that thing gets its hands or claws or whatever on you! Then we’ll see who’s fucking laughing!” 

“BALEX.” Moze interjected. “When did this happen?”

“Happened sometime earlier this afternoon.”

“That’s around the same time Jeb was killed.” Moze replied softly, more to herself than anyone else. “Can you please play the security footage outside of Jeb’s room this afternoon?”

“Yeah, sure. I can do that.” The AI replied, pulling up the security footage on the terminal’s monitor for the two women to see. 

The trio watched the footage play, watching as the door to Jeb’s room had remained sealed for hours on end. There was no activity on the other end of the camera footage until Moze noticed that the lights in the dormitory hallways began to flicker. 

“There you see that!” Moze burst, quickly noticing a ghostly apparition appearing to phase right through Jeb’s door. 

Rewinding and pausing the footage, a faint silhouette of the attacker could be seen. It was barely visible, but the image was unmistakable, the attacker had some type of tail.

“So, it WAS the dinosaur!” BALEX burst. 

The soldier froze, trying to figure out the mystery of all that was transpiring around her. “How did he go through the door?”

“Advanced tech?” Tyreen shrugged. 

“That’s not – that’s not possible.” Moze countered apprehensively. “Zane, Zer0, hell, an entire division of Atlas troops who served under General Knoxx were capable of going invisible… But phasing through solid objects? That’s not possible…”

“Honey, you’ve got it on tape.” Tyreen replied much softer than she had intended, gently placing her hand on the shorter woman’s shoulder.

“You’re right. We’re gonna have to have a nice long talk with Maurice.” 

Waving to BALEX, the duo once again made their way to discover who this mysterious assassin really was, and to stop them before they could hurt anyone else. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The siren and the soldier had made their way to the portal device Maurice incessantly safeguarded only to find that the Saurian had already apparently used it and made his escape to Xylourgos.

“Dammit!” Moze, burst angrily. “How the hell are we gonna find him now?!” 

“We go to Xylourgos, obviously.” Tyreen chuckled. 

“I don’t even know how to use this machine!” 

“Clearly, you’ve gotta press all the buttons.” The siren replied matter-of-factly, bending over to press every button she could find. 

“Tyreen! What are you doing?!” Moze shouted. “You’re gonna break -”

But before the vault hunter could finish her sentence, she was immediately interrupted by the loud hum of the device coming to life. A green tear in the fabric of spacetime itself began to form in front of their very eyes. The tear stretched, slowly becoming a small bubble that grew to an opening just large enough to walk into. Visible on the other side of the portal was an image that would haunt the two women forever. The Candy Corn festival.

The siren and the soldier gasped in shock, watching as Gaige the Mechromancer funneled some sort of drink into her mouth from a large keg suspiciously labeled “candy corn juice.” A crowd gathered around the vault hunter, cheering for her to chug. 

Candy corn paraphernalia from hats to plushies were visible everywhere, and it shook Moze to her very core. She had seen terrible things as a soldier, but this was truly a sight that would haunt her for the rest of her life. Putting aside her feelings of terror and disgust, the gunner noticed that there were two very familiar faces, Mancubus, the keeper of the lodge, and Maurice. 

Before the gunner could even open her mouth to call the duo, she was shocked to discover that Mancubus had already intercepted her. “Can I – help you?” The tall, gaunt man questioned curiously.

“Yeah, sorry for interrupting your… party…” The gunner frowned, noticing that the crowd was still cheering Gaige on. “But we need to talk to Maurice.”

The man stared deep into Moze’s eyes, his gaze was penetrating, causing her feel as if he was inspecting her very soul. But after a few seconds, the man merely nodded and proceeded to summon the saurian to his side. 

“It is such a shame you do not wish to join us.” Maurice commented, a party hat fashioned to look like a candy corn adorned atop his head. “It is – to die for.” 

Moze stared at the saurian, desperately wishing that he was not the murderer. “Do you know Jeb?” The gunner questioned the suspect calmly, folding her arms. 

“Ah, yes.” The reptilian creature growled. “Ensign Jeb was a close friend of mine. A shame he already made plans and couldn’t attend the festiva-”

“If that’s really true then I’m sorry.” The vault hunter replied somberly. “But we found him, or what’s left of him, dead in his cell earlier.”

“What?!” Maurice hissed angrily, prompting Mancubus to gently place his hand upon his back. “Who did it?! And why?!” 

“We don’t know, yet. That’s what we were trying to figure out.” Moze paused. “All we know is that the killer had a tail, and you -”

“Let me stop you – Right there.” Mancubus interjected calmly. 

“What?” The gunner stammered. “I -”

“You clearly have come to question my friend here in the middle of our party – but I can tell you with 100% certainty that Maurice – is not the killer.” 

“How?” 

“You forget… Look at our surroundings.” The man replied, gesturing to the space around them. “We are in the lodge, vault hunter. And if you remember correctly – no evil may enter this domain. If he was really the killer – he would have been unable to attend our little – get together in the first place The Lodge shelters all of good conscience.” 

“You guys are hosting a candy corn festival.” Tyreen interjected with annoyance. “I don’t know about you, Moze. But that seems pretty sus to me.” 

“No, no… He’s right.” The shorter woman frowned. “But if he’s not the killer then -”

“Not to – point fingers.” Mancubus interrupted. “But have you – not considered talking to the mad scientist aboard your ship about this?” 

“Mad scientist?” Moze questioned, noticing that the lights had begun to flicker overhead. “I don’t – ” Quickly realizing who the man was talking about, the gunner thanked the two for their time, and proceeded to head to Tannis’s lab. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The laboratory had looked as if a battle was fought within. An assortment of vials, test tubes, and other miscellaneous pieces of equipment were broken upon the floor, but the most valuable objects in the room, the vault keys, were still intact. Unfortunately, there was one very important piece of the puzzle missing, and that was Tannis herself. 

Moze, having no idea what to do next, sighed heavily and threw her hands up into the air.

“Vault thief?” Tyreen inquired to the soldier with concern in her voice. “When we catch her, can I leech her?” 

With a heavy groan, Moze shook her head. “Come on… We need to warn everybody still on the ship that there’s a killer on the loose, and that they need to stick together.” 

“Wouldn’t it be smarter if we all went after Tannis together?” 

“I don’t think it’s her, Tyreen.” Moze replied softly. “There has to be more to the story than this. And no. Everyone still on board are civilians, I’m not letting anyone else get hurt under my watch.” 

“Wow! Look at you! All noble and stuff.” The siren chuckled. “Real talk, vault hunter, it’s kinda hot.” 

Unable to think of a proper response, the soldier merely blushed and continued along her original topic. “We – we have a long night ahead of us. Let’s get to work.”

After warning the residents of the ship of the threat that now lurked aboard, the two women began their search for the killer. Unfortunately, what the duo forgot to take into consideration during their search, was the fact that Sanctuary III was absolutely massive. Sure, a quick walk through the ship didn’t take too long, but searching through every airduct, corridor, and trash compactor was a very time-consuming process, and before they knew it, the crow of a rooster rang through the ship’s PA system, signaling that it was now the morning. 

Exchanging glances, the two women knew they needed some rest, and proceeded to head to their room for a quick nap.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Day of the Bloody Harvest

Moze awoke to the sight of her crush staring at herself in the mirror. Tyreen chuckled quietly to herself, trying to discern whether or not she wanted to wear a pair of devils horns or an angel’s halo for her Bloody Harvest costume. 

“Tyreen.” The gunner called groggily, wiping sleep from her eyes. “Are you really dressing up during a murder investigation?”

“I ran the children of the vault, Mozie. Do you really think I -” As she spoke, the siren couldn’t help but notice how exhausted her crush was. Clearly the gunner had been unable to sleep, probably a result of the worry of attack, the thought that someone else could have been hurt while they rested, or a combination of the two. Whatever the reason, the bags under her Moze’s eyes were prominent, and Tyreen couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. 

In any other circumstance, the siren wouldn’t have cared. There was only one Bloody Harvest a year, and she was going to enjoy it, but the thoughts of the encounter they had with Ramona had triggered a feeling within her that she didn’t think was possible. The siren with the wheat colored hair was beautiful, well-spoken, her accented voice making her sound like royalty with the manners to match. She wasn’t just another siren to leech, she was a genuine threat, and clearly, she had eyes for the vault hunter. Knowing full well that she had to do – something to avoid losing her crush again, the siren groaned. “Fine. No outfits.”

Moze watched the siren grumpily lean back against the wall, folding her arms, and couldn’t resist but to give in to her wishes. Getting up from her bed, the gunner snatched the headband with the angel’s halo and placed it atop the taller woman’s head. “There. You’re lucky you’re kind of growing on me.” The gunner smiled softly, watching as her crush carefully removed her helmet, replacing it with the devils horns. 

“You know you love me.” The siren winked, easily noticing that the gunner had yet to remove the words “gun-slut” from her helmet.

Snatching the headpiece back, the vault hunter smiled. “C’mon. Get, ready. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”

Upon opening the door, Moze had completely forgotten that one of her very own squad-mates was still aboard the ship. Running for Fl4k’s room she used the emergency code they had granted her to immediately burst into the room. 

Against the back corner of the wall, the gunner’s friend lay incapacitated. Mr. Chew, Broodless, and Meat-Thief surrounded their master, presumably guarding them from the threat that had rendered them unconscious in the first place. 

“Oh, god!” Moze burst, rushing to her friend’s side, Fl4k’s pets moving aside to let the vault hunter through. The gunner gently shook the robot’s shoulder, desperately trying to wake them up. “Fl4k, wake up. I need you, dude. Come on!” 

The robot’s sole ocular device dimly lit up, as they began to regain consciousness. “Moserah…” Fl4k spoke, mustering all their strength to get the words out. “We made a mistake -”

“Just, take it easy. You’re gonna be alright, who did this?” 

As the gunner tried to get answers from her friend, Tyreen noticed the lights in the room had begun to flicker overhead. Mr. Chew, whose attention had been focused on his master, was now growling, turning to face an empty corner of the room. “Uh, guys!” Tyreen called apprehensively.

“Tyreen, not right now.” Moze replied. “Flak’s -” But before she could finish, the vault hunter was shocked to find Fl4k’s body quickly being dragged away. The robot’s pets quickly tried to intercept the kidnapper, but it was too late. Somehow, the vault hunter’s body had been completely absorbed into the wall, almost as if they were kidnapped by… 

“It’s the ghost!” Tyreen bust with shock. 

“This shit ends now!” Moze growled in a tone that even intimidated Tyreen. Making her way for the door, the siren was curious as to what was going to happen next. 

“Where are we going, vault hunter?” The taller woman asked apprehensively. 

“To put an end to this. We’re clearing out the rest of the ship and killing this thing.” The gunner replied, half turned to face Tyreen.

Slightly intimidated, and slightly turned on by her crush. The siren followed. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It took them the rest of the day, but the two women had managed to search the entirety of the ship, save for one single location. Crazy Earl’s room. Knowing full well that this was the only spot left in the ship where her friends could possibly be, Moze called out to BALEX to put the ship on red alert. Sanctuary’s emergency lights instantly lit up, flashing on and off with a bright red hue, klaxons blaring in every hall. Moze had grown accustomed to these red alerts while she served with Vladof, but despite this fact she still felt a little on edge, for red alerts always ended in death. 

There were plenty of ways to die in the borderlands, and unfortunately for the gunner, she had seen almost all of them. Between her time in Vladof and her time as a vault hunter, death had followed her like a lost skag pup. Back in Vladof, going out with a quick snipershot to the head was a blessing, it was a morbid way of looking at things, but nothing could compare to a death by some of the most gruesome, sadistic, weapons ever conceived by man. 

This killer, however, was not worthy of a clean death, and Moze, full of rage and hate, decided that there was only one way this could end. With fire. It would be a slow, agonizing death, and she would relish every moment of it. Digistructing her Firesale Long Musket, a malevolent grin slowly grew upon her face. This bitch would pay.

Tyreen, instantly recognizing the design of the Tediore pistol grew a bit concerned. Had this situation developed a year ago, she would have relished the opportunity to use this woman’s hate for her own nefarious purposes, but that was a year ago, and this wasn’t the Moze that she had fallen for in the first place.

Gently placing her hand on the vault hunter’s shoulder, the siren softly called for her crush’s attention. “Hey, um… Moze?”

Reloading the weapon, the gunner began to chuckle with delight. “Yeah, Ty?”

“See, normally, this kind of thing would be super hot.” Tyreen blushed. “No pun intended. But like, what I’m trying to say is… Are you ok? You’re not being… yourself.”

A glare slowly grew on the soldier’s face as she turned to face Tyreen. “Are YOU seriously gonna try to give ME a lecture or something?!” The gunner hissed. 

“Lecture? – I – I’m not, Moxxi.” Tyreen stammered, desperately trying to lighten up the situation, unused to this kind of vitriol from, well, anyone. 

“Oh, forgive me, God-Queen Tyreen.” Moze spat sarcastically. “I’m just eager for some payback on the thing that is killing all of my friends!” 

The vault hunter’s shouts had unconsciously made the siren back up. “Moze, I’m just trying to help you – I’m sorry, I -”

“If you want to help then you can shut the fuck up and we can get moving -” But before the soldier could continue, both women had come to notice that the emergency lights in their immediate vicinity had begun to flicker. 

“Moze?” Tyreen panicked. “The ghost! It’s here! I –”

The siren was quickly interrupted as an invisible force had forcefully pulled her ankle causing her to trip and fall to the ground. 

“Tyreen!” Moze screamed with terror, watching as her crush was dragged across the floor, the killer quickly pulling her into one of the nearby walls. “Grab my hand! Hurry, I -”

The sound of the siren’s fingernails grating into the floor was unbearable as she desperately tried to stop herself from being dragged away. But just as quickly as the attack had begun, the siren was already somehow halfway phased into the wall. “Moze, please!” She screamed, quickly being pulled in deeper. “I -” 

But before the siren could continue any further it was already too late. She was gone. 

Feeling the weight of all her failure’s that had transpired over the past few days, the gunner fell to her knees and began to weep.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The gunner instantly began to regret how she had lashed out at her crush, and she was ashamed that she had failed her crew. This was now the second time that members of her found family were slowly getting picked off as if she was in some sort of sick, sadistic horror ECHO-Film. Her thoughts normally would have continued to trail off were it not for the gentle verbal prodding of the ship’s navigator. 

“Vault hunter. Yo, Moze.” BALEX called softly. “You gotta get up.”

“I will… I will… ” The gunner choked. “In a few minutes, I -”

“No, that’s the thing, vault hunter. We don’t have that kind of time. When that thing phased through the wall it tore straight through the ship’s temperature regulation systems. You gotta kill that thing now so we can send a crew out to fix it, or things are gonna get HOT. And not in a fun way!” 

Remembering that there were still people who needed her, she put on her Vladof face and headed to Crazy Earl’s. Her grief could wait. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

By the time she had arrived outside of Earl’s room, the temperatures had already begun to ascend. Stripping down to nothing but a tanktop and her combat trousers, she readied her weapon and called for BALEX to forcibly open the door.

Overriding the door’s security code, the door flung wide open. “Breach and clears” had been routine for the ex-Vladof soldier, ground assaults were always one of her specialties, but none of her training had prepared for this.

Inside the room, she instantly recognized the faces of all of her friends, their bodies encapsulated in some sort of cocoons attached to the wall. Tannis, Fl4k, Marcus, Crazy Earl, and another resident of the ship all lay incapacitated within their respective mucus membranes. 

Looking for her crush, the gunner quickly noticed that Tyreen’s body lay incapacitated on the ground, and over it, the killer. A stalker sprawled out over the siren’s body, saliva dripping menacingly from its jaws. The creatures were native of Pandora and had become known for their ferocity and capability to become nearly invisible due to a special organ they all possessed. But what Moze couldn’t understand, however, was how exactly this stalker in particular had gained the ability to move through solid objects. 

She would have loved to have incinerated the creature on the spot, but the flames of her gun would end up burning Tyreen, and potentially even her friends in the process. She had to get the beast away from them at any cost, and so she proceeded to shout. “Hey! Hey, ugly! Over here!” 

The creature turned to face its new target, snarling with intent the creature pounced, loudly hitting the wall as Moze ducked for cover. Moving to the center of the room, the gunner knew she HAD to keep the beast from phasing through the wall to avoid being ambushed and she had to keep it away from her comrades to avoid accidentally burning them to a crisp. 

As the creature slowly began to shake itself off, Moze fired at the beast. The stalker’s screeches loudly echoing throughout the eridium-laden room. It was with this realization that the gunner realized she had made a horrible mistake. 

Remembering a conversation with a former friend on the subject of zombies, it was that if there was one thing worse than fighting an army of the undead, it was fighting an army of the undead while they were on fire. And while the alien beast in front of her was no zombie, it was on fire, and very, very pissed off. 

The creature lunged at the woman, quickly pouncing on her with a force that sent her flying back to the ground. The flamethrower flew out of her hands forcing her to reach for the dagger she had holstered on her hip. The alien snarled and hissed, so lost in its rage that it had disregarded the pain of the inferno around it, desperately attempting to kill the one that had put it in such pain. 

Moze roared, as she reached for her knife, her adrenaline also blocking out the intense heat above her and proceeded to repeatedly stab the beast in its neck. Blood gushed over the woman’s face before the beast fell over onto its side.

Quickly standing and patting her shoulders, ensuring that she wouldn’t become engulfed in flames herself, Moze watched the beast as it heaved its final breath and died. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A few hours later, a relative sense of normalcy was finally restored back to the ship. All of the victims, save for Crazy Earl and Tyreen, who wished to go back to their respective rooms, were all now awake and bedridden in the ship’s infirmary. A row of gurneys had been lined up to check the vitals of all of her friends.

“So, let me get this straight…” Moze remarked, rubbing her temples. “You thought it would be a good idea to inject Lilith’s DNA into a stalker?!”

Tannis, now lying atop one of the lab’s gurneys merely frowned. “We are dealing with a new firehawk, vault hunter.” The sirentist replied exasperatedly. “It only makes sense that we come to understand as much as we can about -”

“But a stalker?! Why a stalker?!” Moze questioned angrily. “Why not a ratch or something?! Your little science project literally made a monster!” 

“Oh, who are you?!” Tannis scoffed. “My mother? My old university’s board of ethics? After the whole Kevin conundrum, ratch’s are now banned on this ship! They breed like well – ratches! I hear that there are still some lurking about on the ship! No, ratches wouldn't do... So, I had your friend here assist me with locating the next best thing.”

Turning to face the beastmaster, Moze sighed. “Fl4k… Why didn’t you -”

“I overestimated my capabilities…” The robot frowned. “I apologize.” 

Gently patting her friend on the back, Moze simply shook her head. “I’m just glad all of you guys are alright. I don’t know what I would’ve done if -”

“Oh, please!” Marcus interrupted. “Don’t get all sentimental on us now! Save that for your lady friend, eh?” The gunrunner chuckled mischievously. 

Instantly filled with a feeling of guilt for her words towards the siren, Moze knew she needed to go apologize to her crush. “She’s – she’s not my lady friend.” The soldier stammered, much to the delight of the older man. “But you’re right, you guys rest up.” She smiled softly, making her way for the door. “And happy Bloody Harvest!”

Upon entering her room, she had noticed that the siren was now lying on her back, fiddling with the angel headband that had remained adorned atop her head. 

“Hey, um. Tyreen?” The gunner inquired softly. “Listen, about earlier… I -”

“It’s ok, Moze.” The taller woman responded gently, prompting Moze to freeze in disbelief.

“No, it’s not. I was just so angry and -”

“Who do you think you’re talking too, vault thief?” Tyreen grinned, the sadness in her eyes betraying her smile. “I get it.”

Moze slowly lied on her back besides the siren, staring at the ceiling in exhaustion. “Y’know, I thought I lost you earlier, dude.” The gunner remarked somberly.

“I SERIOUSLY don’t think anyone would’ve minded that.” Tyreen quipped. 

“I dunno, man. I’m pretty sure Moxxi would’ve missed her number one bartender.” 

“Oh, don’t give me that. You and I both know she -”

“Genuinely cares for you in her own, weird, I dunno – maternal sort of way? Trust me, Tyreen. If she wanted you dead, she already would’ve laid you out.” The gunner chuckled. 

The siren turned her head to stare at the shorter woman beside her and frowned. The fact of the matter was that a stalker with a siren-like abilities had managed to get the best of them, what would a true siren be able to do? Sure, she had single handedly managed to get the best of Lilith in what felt like almost an eternity ago, but Ramona was not Lilith. 

The late red-headed siren was the leader of the Crimson Raiders, a hero, she was the standard for what all the freedom fighters should have been, and it was for that reason that Tyreen had come to believe that the woman never truly learned to use her abilities to their full potential. But Ramona had a vision for the galaxy that put even the former cult-leader on edge, and now she had the ability to make that dream a reality. Disregarding her fears and just wanting to savor the moment, Tyreen kept her worries to herself. 

“Y’know… There’s still a few hours of The Bloody Harvest left.” The siren remarked mischievously. “I bet we could sneak in a few drinks without Moxxi noticing. Would you care to join me?” She asked feigning a posh accent.

Wanting nothing more than to get her mind off the events of the day and to spend some time with the black-haired siren, Moze grinned. “There’s nothing I’d like more.” 

And even after all that had transpired, the two women had managed to enjoy a very relaxing night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I try my best to sneak in both "Alien" and "Among Us" references into this chapter? Yes, yes I did. Anyways... I really debated waiting to upload this chapter on Halloween, but we all know that spoopy season starts October 1st, so I decided to upload it early! I hope you guys are keeping safe, and I hope you all manage to have an excellent October despite the fact that we are all currently living in the actual horror story that is 2020.


	17. Ramona

Several months had passed since their last encounter with the latest addition to the galaxy’s roster of sirens. There had been no word of The Children of the Firehawk or their mysterious leader in some time, and with no new vaults being opened since their first encounter on Nekrotafeyo, the Crimson Raiders had had enough of the incessant waiting. Taking matters into their own hands, the crew had ventured back to Pandora and returned with a prize, an actual member of the Children of the Firehawk. Using one of Sanctuary’s storage closets as a makeshift interrogation room, Moze and her team had begun to search for answers. 

“Just tell us what you’re planning, and you won’t get hurt.” Amara remarked sternly, addressing the bandit they had tied to a chair. 

“The queen – ah ah ah!” The bandit laughed. “Says it’s not time yet! Patience, vault hunters!” 

Moze stared at the man, trying to hide her discomfort. This was no ordinary bandit, the absence of shouts and death threats, the absolute lack of rage and mania, he was almost – a normal human being. Well, he would have been, were it not for the typical bandit garb and speech patterns.

“Her offer still stands! Kneel! No one gets hurt! No one! She just – Oops!” The masked man laughed. “Almost slipped, almost told the secret! She wouldn’t have liked that! Scary when she’s angry! Scary!” 

“Who?” Moze inquired, folding her arms. “Ramona?”

“The queen!” The man burst with jubilation. “Yes! And she will – she – she won’t like me being captured!” 

“And what exactly makes you so special, boyo?” Zane interjected. 

“Me? Special? Yes! Yes! You understand!” The man laughed again gleefully. “We are ALL special! Yes! Yes! Even you, sad old man!” 

The operative quickly turned to his colleagues in disbelief, shock plastered on his face. “Did? – Did this bastard just call me old?”

“I’m not quite following.” Amara replied, ignoring Zane’s desperate plea for sympathy. 

“Return me! Let me go!” The bandit continued. “Will tell queen you want to talk! Could have just asked yourself!” 

“Yeah.” Moze scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Well your queen isn’t exactly the easiest person to track.”

“She truly – w-wait!” The bandit stammered, now beginning to scrutinize the gunner. “You are the Moserah!” Stomping his feet with joy the man cackled. “Oh, easily solved! Easily solved! All leave the room except for her!” He remarked sternly, all the joy in his voice now gone.

“What do you want with Moze?” Amara questioned, reflexively positioning herself between the bandit and her ex. 

“Just to leave a message.” The man glared, his eyes firmly locked on the gunner’s.

“Alright.” Moze replied calmly, gesturing for her friends to leave the room. “Let’s talk.” Watching as her team left the room, the vault hunter started. “How do you know me?” 

The bandits serious demeanor cracked once again as he proceeded to laugh hysterically. “Oh, the queen! She has been looking for you, Moserah! Yes! Oh, she will be pleased I found you!”

“What does she want with me?” The gunner inquired, furrowing her eyebrows. 

“The Windshear Wastes!” The man shouted. “Operation there! All will be explained. She will be pleased to see you. But go alone, yes! She made that clear!” 

“Why do I need to -”

Furiously shaking his head, the man quickly shouted. “Good day!” He burst, quickly pretending that he had fallen asleep. 

Frowning as she exited the makeshift cell, the gunner was quickly intercepted by her friends. 

“Well?!” Zane burst. “What did he want?” 

“Apparently…” Moze frowned. “Ramona wants to talk.”

“Talkin’s better than shootin’! When do we head out?!” The operative burst enthusiastically.

The gunner sighed, rubbing her temples with exasperation. “See, here’s the thing. She wants to talk to me – alone.”

“Oh, here we go.” Amara rolled her eyes. “Why is it that YOU seem to be getting involved in the personal lives of every single siren in the galaxy?” 

“Dunno how much longer this one’s gonna be around.” The shorter woman replied seriously. “I mean seriously, what’s this chick’s game?”

“We’ll go with ya anyways, Mozie!” Zane chirped. “It has to be a trap, you can’t just -”

“I don’t – I don’t think it is, Zane.” The soldier replied. “We haven’t really done anything to piss her off in the first place.”

“Correction. We haven’t pissed her off, YET. You go down there, who knows what’ll happen!”

Moze, thinking upon all that had transpired up until this point couldn’t help but release a confident chuckle. “Zane, c’mon! Thanks to me Tyreen fucking Calypso works at a bar. If I can handle her, I can handle anything!” 

Keeping her eyes firmly locked onto her ex, the Tiger of Partali couldn’t help but shake her head. Moze was definitely a forced to be reckoned with. Years of military experience, a heavily armed mech, and a wit to match made her a serious threat to anyone who dared to cross her, but Ramona was a siren, and not just any siren, but one imbued with the powers of the Firehawk. If something were ever to happen to Iron Bear, the soldier would be left with nothing but her wits and whatever guns she had stored in her pack. Every war and every battle that the gunner had fought until this point was a gamble, and Amara knew just how dangerous the results would be if her former girlfriend decided to keep pressing her luck. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tropical islands with kaiju-sized megafauna, deserts guarding the coveted secrets of the once seemingly immortal Eridian Empire, and icy plateaus with mountains taller than the eye could see. The environmental diversity of Pandora was unrivalled throughout the galaxies, but despite the differences between continents they all shared one familiar trait. Every inch of Pandora wanted to kill you, and the Windshear Wastes were no exception. The icy tundra was once filled with the wreckage and remains of old Hyperion facilities and a legion of discarded Claptrap units discarded due to the intense hatred of Handsome Jack. The subzero temperatures would have been lethal if one had remained outside for too long, so it was much to Moze’s appreciation that she had received the fast-travel coordinates directly to Ramona’s location. 

The fast-travel point was isolated atop the edge of an icy cliff. Nothing but snow and rock as far as the eye could see. The gunner instantly rezzed into the freezing cold and completely zipped up the parka she had brought along with her, scanning for her host. Out in the distance stood a solitary figure staring out into the distance, Ramona Delisle. Her wheat blonde hair was covered with snowflakes, yet she appeared to remain entirely unfazed in the freezing temperatures. 

“You, uh, gonna burst into song there?” Moze chuckled awkwardly, struggling to get her boots to shuffle through the dense layer of snow. 

Ramona quicky turned to face the vault hunter, her signature white dress billowing in the wind. “I beg your pardon, vault hunter?” She replied, brushing strands of hair out of her face.

“No, I – uh, just a blonde in the snow with superpowers? Y’know? Like that old ECHO-Film I – oh, nevermind –” 

The siren chuckled mirthfully as she slowly approached the shorter woman, the snow near her feet melting just by being in her presence. “Forgive me, Moserah, but you are quite strange.” The blonde beamed.

Moze stood flabbergasted, desperately searching for the right words. There was a new player on the board, and any potential misstep could result in war. “Ouch.” Moze grinned. “So much for a good second impression, huh?”

Immediately noting the soldier’s distress, the siren quickly covered her mouth. “Oh, I am so sorry! I meant no offense! Our idiosyncrasies are what make us all beautiful, vault hunter! I apologize, I -”

“No! No! I’m kidding!” Moze laughed, scratching the back of her head, trying not to get lost in the taller woman’s bright blue eyes. “Blue eyes? God.” Moze thought to herself. Her type was just becoming predictable at this point. 

The two stared at each other awkwardly for what felt like nearly an eternity before the silence was interrupted by the hostess. “So, I bet you’re ready to ‘see what I’m all about,’ eh?” Ramona questioned in a sing-song voice, extending her hand out to the soldier. 

“Where are we going?” Moze questioned apprehensively, slowly reaching out her hand.

“Well, I could tell you, vault hunter.” She winked, now holding the gunner’s hand in her own. “But then I’d have to kill you.” And before her guest could protest, the two had vanished into a burst of flames, into the heart of the Firehawk’s den. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As a soldier behind potential enemy lines, Moze would have found it wise to properly assess her situation. Locating high ground and points of cover was the first thing the gunner did every time she entered a new location, and that’s exactly what she would have been doing had Ramona’s teleportation not caused her to feel like vomiting.

“Oh, that – that does NOT feel good.” The vault hunter wretched, desperately trying to stop herself from doubling over.

“Oh, forgive me!” Ramona burst, helping the shorter woman keep her balance. “I’m suddenly beginning to believe that you won’t like what I had planned next given your current … position.” The siren frowned, watching as Moze released the contents of her stomach. 

“And – and what’s that?” The gunner groaned, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. 

Ramona now took a step back, away from the mess that her guest had made on the floor and sighed. “Lunch.” 

* * *

A few minutes later after Moze had collected herself she began to inspect her surroundings. They appeared to be in an enormous dining hall, a single large table capable of seating dozens of people sat directly in the center of the room. A large hole that tore into the ceiling and ran down part of the left-facing wall filtered natural light down into the chamber, a thin shield separating them from the blizzard outside. 

“Please take a seat.” Ramona smiled, pulling out a chair for Moze. “Someone will be along the way shortly to deal with the mess.” 

“Yeah… Sorry about that.” The vault hunter chuckled nervously, accepting the host’s offer to sit down. 

“Oh, it’s no problem, really. Personally, I think the green you have added to this room compliments the walls very nicely.” The siren smiled, gesturing to the yellow walls surrounding them.

“This an old Hyperion facility?” 

“Oh, what gave it away? All the yellow?” Ramona chuckled, taking a seat across from her guest. “But, yes, until my little organization can gain the funding to become self-sufficient we’re going to be making use of whatever abandoned facilities we can find. It’s very fitting though, isn’t it? The heir to the Firehawk’s abilities making use of an old Hyperion base, read into that however you will, I’m sure you’ll pick up something.” 

“How about we skip the reading and get right to business.” Moze smiled cockily, eyeing the trays full of food on the table. Grapes, caviar, steaks, wine, and more, all waiting to be consumed.

“Ah.” The siren smiled. “Here to find out what I’m all about? I was hoping you accepted my invitation with friendship in mind, but if business is the first step to gain your trust then by all means! What is it that you desire to know?” She asked, serving herself a small portion of caviar. 

It was to Moze’s great displeasure that she had discovered the fact that the right words hardly ever came to mind when she needed them the most, and this situation had now solidified her belief. “What-what do you want, man?” The gunner shrugged. “See, I hear all this talk about the Children of the Firehawk and I’m thinkin’ ‘ok, we got another cult to deal with, right?’ but then I come here, and I’m talkin’ to your men, and you’re doing this, and – and you invite me here? For lunch?! I -”

“I take it you’re not accustomed to this from your quarrels with the Children of the Vault?” Ramona interrupted, taking a sip from a glass of wine. “My men have been cleaning up the galaxy of their remnants, by the way, well – those who refuse to submit anyways.”

“See!” Moze burst, quickly taking a fork from the table and pointing it accusingly at the siren who hadn’t even flinched. “Submit? Your men? What are you -”

“Before we continue this conversation any further.” Ramona interjected calmly. “I need to ask YOU something.” 

“Fucking go for it, dude.” Moze sighed wearily.

“Why did you save Tyreen Calypso?”

This was now the first time someone outside her circle of friends, her found family, had questioned her motives for well – anything. “I, uh, it was the noble thing to – ”

“Vault hunter.” Ramona groaned. “My parents, may the gods bless their souls, taught me that etiquette was everything. You never know when you’re going to meet your next business partner, friend, the love of your life… and you should always ensure you leave a favorable impression wherever you go. But just this once I will drop the pretense. Don’t bullshit me, Moserah. I have eyes and ears everywhere. I need to hear you say why you saved her. REALLY.” 

The gunner shuddered as she stared into the blonde’s eyes. She’d often heard of looks that could kill, but it wasn’t until this moment that she had truly learned what the phrase meant. “I had a crush on her – have a – I like her. I’m sorry about your parents, I didn’t know -”

“Don’t apologize for actions that weren’t your own.” The blue eyes woman replied, her glare now softening. “But your admission now predicates one simple fact.” 

“And that is?” Moze asked, her hand reflexively reaching for the grip of her pistol. 

“You saved her because you believe anyone can be saved. Correct?”

“I mean – if they want too, and with help? I mean… Fucking Tyreen Calypso is making progress.” The soldier chuckled nervously. 

“Then it’s settled!” The siren beamed, pouring wine into the empty glass near Moze. “I want you to join me!” 

“Join you with what?” Moze scoffed. “Look at all this fancy… shit! Back in Vladof, only the Commissars ever ate like this. I’m starting to get some serious world-dictator – er – galaxy-dictator vibes here.”

Before she could continue, a door located at the far end of the room had opened, a blue claptrap unit wearing a bowtie rolled in, its single “eye” was damaged so badly it was a wonder it could navigate around at all. Behind the robot was a bandit wearing nothing but a blazer, slacks, and the signature mask that people all throughout the Borderlands had become so accustomed to seeing.

“Ah, Reginald. Harold. Would you please be so kind and clean up the, ahem, mess? Our guest has made. It would be greatly appreciated.” 

“Ye- yes, your highness.” The bandit named Harold replied calmly, watching as the claptrap had made its way to mop up the floor.

“Your HIGHNESS?” Moze questioned, irritation seeping into her voice. “Yeah, this is the part where you explain yourself before -”

“I’m not some degenerate cult leader.” Ramona hissed. “I’m a queen. And a merciful one and that.” The siren chuckled. “Gods know if I wasn’t then I would have vaporized you for your insolence on the spot.”

“What do you want?” Moze questioned angrily, now retrieving her pistol and placing it upon the table for her host to see. 

“Reginald?” The siren called, noticing that the claptrap unit had finished its job. “Come here would you, darling?” 

The claptrap unit handed the mop and bucket to Harold and rolled towards the self-proclaimed monarch. 

“Reginald here, like the rest of his kind, were all brutally murdered by the one known as Handsome Jack. They were beaten, used for target practice, abused in nearly every sense of the word, and then finally all dumped off here in the Windshear Wastes.” The siren frowned, gently caressing the carapace of the robot. 

“So, what? You want to become the queen of bandits and old, discarded Claptrap units?” The vault hunter scoffed. “Make them do all the work while you rule eating caviar and sipping wine up above like literally millions of other assholes before you?” 

“Vault hunter, everyone will live the way I do when my kingdom has risen. I seek to save the lost, the hopeless, those who were cast aside and shunned. You managed to save Tyreen Calypso, and, you said it yourself, she’s the better for it. Will you not allow me to attempt to save anyone myself?” 

“Who exactly needs saving?” The gunner frowned.

“Why, Moserah… Look deeply into your heart, you know the answer.”

“Oh, please! No riddles. I haven’t even had lunch yet.” She replied sarcastically, throwing her legs on the table. 

Gently shooing her servants away, Ramona took another sip of her wine and smiled. “Why? Isn’t it obvious? Everyone.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Dictator!” Moze roared, now reaching for the pistol and aiming it squarely at the siren’s forehead. “I fucking knew it! Evil queen? C’mon, how predictable can you get?” 

“Are you honestly going to tell me that you intend to make your mark on history as the woman who saved Tyreen Calypso and murdered the woman whose sole purpose in life is to save the galaxy?” 

“We’re not talking about history, we’re talking about the future.” Moze burst. “If I wanted to talk all philosophically then I’d be doing it with Tyreen.”

The chuckles Ramona had released all throughout this morning were soft, restrained, as if she were trying to do so while a child rested in the next room. But the laugh that now emanated from the taller woman was filled with pure hysteria. 

“Philosophy?! With Tyreen Calypso? Maybe I was wrong to offer you a job if you think that woman has any since of decency or -”

“She read ‘War and fucking Peace’ growing up, dude.” Moze snapped. “Don’t insult -”

Moze’s retort was instantly cut short by more hysterical laughter coming from the blonde. ‘War and Peace?’ Tyreen Calypso?! Darling, she only knows the title because I told her about it! Your little crush murdered my parents because she deemed them to be, and I quote ‘annoying nerds!’ I’m going to let you in on a little secret, vault hunter.” The blonde spat, the air in the room now beginning to feel as if it was heating up despite the fact that a blizzard was raging outside. “Many outside the Calypso’s little inner circle always revere them! How delicate and intricate must the hierarchy of the church be?! How much weight must the souls of those twin gods carry?! Darling, the twins had the emotional and intellectual depth of a kiddie pool!” Ramona laughed cruelly. “She lied to you to impress you, because news flash! She feels the same way about you!” 

Moze froze. How had a chat about the fate of the universe somehow come right back to her love life? And how in God’s name could Tyreen Calypso harbor feelings for her? It was all lies and bullshit, it had to be. “Don’t – don’t get off subject!” Moze burst. 

“Fine! Fine!” Ramona replied, now trying to collect herself. “Allow me to try this again. I plan on building a kingdom that will last a thousand generations. One of peace and prosperity, and -”

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Moze hissed.

“Oh, look at you!” Ramona smiled, clasping her hands together. “You’re much too good for her anyways. You’re practically a knight, you know! You have your own noble steed, and everything.” The blonde chuckled.

“Enough about Tyreen. What’s your game?”

Taking another sip of wine, the taller woman frowned. “The corporate wars have left the borderlands… shattered. Even the corporations themselves have sustained heavy losses. My castle here is proof enough. Do you have any idea how much money it takes to even a construct a facility of this size in the first place?” 

“So, what? You rally all the bandits and claptraps of the galaxy and – and take over?” 

“No, vault hunter. When the galaxy has seen how I have managed to rehabilitate and save those who were cast aside for good, they will be unable to resist my offers of friendship and they will submit willingly. I have much to offer all, not just bandits! If Maliwan sponsored the Children of the Vault, then it won’t be much of a stretch for any of the larger corporations to align themselves with me. Who’s to say I won’t be your commissar in a few years time?” The siren winked.

“Nobody can rehabilitate psychos! Tannis – one of the smartest people I know already tried, it’s impossible, it’s – ”

“No offense to your Tannis, but she wasn’t my parents. And their technique is sound. I’m sure you’ve encountered a few of my men already? Haven’t you noticed they’re a bit more… articulate? Than your average bandit?” 

Slowly lowering her weapon, Moze began to rub her temples. “So, let’s say I let you live. You save the bandits, become queen, and what?”

“Simple.” Ramona smiled, taking a handful of grapes from the table and plopping one into her mouth. “I rule over my kingdom and watch how drastically the lives of my people improve.” 

“And what do you get out of this?” The soldier asked skeptically. 

“The love and adoration of a grateful universe, along with the satisfaction that I will go down in history as the woman who has brought peace to all.” She replied, plopping another grape into her mouth. “Oh, and an entire universe’s cache of eridium.”

“Yeah? And what are you gonna use that for? Fuel yourself up to incinerate anyone who disobeys?” 

“Oh, please, Moserah. Consuming that much eridium would leave me the size of a skyscraper! It’s very strange how large things get when exposed to eridium isn’t it? I admit the prospect could have its uses, but at the end of the day it just isn’t very practical. No.” 

“It’s kinda hot on Tyreen though.” Moze burst, her thoughts now beginning to flow out of her mouth without restraint. 

“You’re so very strange.” Ramona chuckled. “But no. I won’t lie to you, vault hunter. I’m sure you know full well that sirens, when exposed to the strange element, often receive boosts in their abilities. Troy phaselocked Elpis, gods know what Lilith did after that whole fiasco, but when taken in small doses eridium has one other benefit for sirens… immortality. I could truly ensure my reign never ends.”

“And there go the red flags again!” Moze replied wearily. 

Ramona rolled her eyes, which soon proceeded to shine brightly. Before Moze could even determine what to say next she had realized that the siren had teleported behind her, clasped her behind the shoulder, and teleported them once again. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Moze quickly realized that she was now back in familiar territory. The two women were now in Moxxi’s bar.

Both the soldier and the siren now stood directly at the center of the room, causing a few of the locals to gasp in shock at the sight of another siren in their home. Behind the counter, both Tyreen and Moxxi watched in shock as the blonde pushed Moze forward, causing her to fall to her knees.

“If you won’t listen to reason, then maybe you’ll listen to the woman who killed my parents!” The blonde hissed, eyes deadlocked on the black haired siren.

“What happened about you forgiving me?” Tyreen spat, quickly rushing to Moze’s side.

Ramona’s eyes glowed with an intensity that rivalled the sun. Her wings of flame stretching out from behind her. “Remember my mercy, vault hunter.” The blonde growled. “When your little admirer tells you who I am.” 

And before anyone could comment any further, the siren had disappeared. 

“What the hell was that all about? And what admirer?” Tyreen asked whimsically, trying to hide the concern in her voice as she helped Moze to her feet.

“I don’t know, dude.” The shorter woman replied, dusting herself off. “You tell me.”

It was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world is on FIRE. This has made it very hard to write, so I apologize for how late this chapter is. My schedule is also going to be super packed in the next month, but I'm going to try to squeeze out one more chapter before year's end since the anniversary of this fic is coming out! Anyways, I hope all of you are well, and staying safe!


	18. Jealousy

Moze had lived a significant portion of her life as a grunt in Vladof’s corporate military, she was used to being another face in the crowd, and when she joined the Ursa Corp, her face had become entirely negligible due to it being hidden beneath Iron Bear’s carapace. The woman was not used to being the center of attention, and it showed. The eyes of the bar’s patrons all met hers with fear, this woman was a vault hunter, THE vault hunter, and yet she had been tossed to the ground like a doll in front of their very eyes. 

“I need – I need to talk to Tyreen alone.” Moze ordered the barkeep with a frown, prompting a nod from the older woman. 

The soldier eyed her crush with frustration. She knew more than she was letting on, and it was time to get to the bottom of this. There was more to the story, there had to be, and Moze knew that she’d have to put her feelings for the siren aside to discover it. So, leading the way, the two women returned to their room. 

“Am I in trouble?” Tyreen questioned with a waggle of her eyebrows and a playful grin, making her way into their room. 

The soldier sighed, rubbing her temples as her roommate gently took a seat on the floor. “Ramona herself told me that you’d tell me all I need to know.” The shorter woman replied, feigning a smile as she fisted her palm. “So, let’s hear it!”

Tyreen froze in place, realizing the horrors that the real story would bring if she spoke it. The truth of the matter was that Ramona had been at the very center of the Calypso’s atrocities. She was a kindhearted, beautiful woman, who now had the closest thing to superpowers one could have in this universe. Back in the COV the woman had been a nobody, a singular, beautiful face lost in a crowd of bandit hordes, but now… Now she was a threat. “You – uh – hanging out with blondie, huh?” The siren chuckled nervously, averting her gaze from her crush’s angry stare. “Pretty hot, right?” She joked, desperately trying to hide her shame and fear. 

“You killed her parents.” Moze remarked sternly, folding her arms. “You put her through a trauma nobody deserves and yet she’s so kind she knows she can point to YOU for a character reference.” The gunner scoffed, rolling her eyes angrily. “What’s her deal? No bullshit.”

“Her, uh…” Tyreen chuckled guiltily, scratching the back of her head. “Her parents were – neurologists? Psychologists? I don’t know – some – they did some nerd shit.” The taller woman faked another laugh, realizing that the vault hunter’s anger had only amplified. “They were trying to cure psychos of whatever made them so batshit crazy, and right when they were going to make their ‘big discovery’” The siren mocked. “Troy and I thought it would be hilarious to -”

“Besides pissing me off.” Moze snapped, a scowl etched onto her face as she glared at Tyreen. “What does this tell me about Ramona that I don’t already know?”

“Well, uh, she was hot.” Tyreen laughed nervously. “Put ‘er in a thumbnail and instant clickbait! Got a CEO who just won’t negotiate? Send Ramona! She was the best assistant we ever had, vault thief!”

“And yet you act like you hardly remembered her the last time you met.” Moze scoffed accusingly. Her glare still locked onto the taller woman. 

“So, what?!” The black-haired woman laughed, rolling her eyes in a desperate attempt to downplay the entire situation. “Look – odds are, she’s lying and just wants revenge against me! We kill her and then -”

“She said she wants to be a queen.” The gunner interjected impatiently, ignoring her crush’s words. “Should I be concerned about that?”

“Well, duh!” The siren laughed, throwing her hands up dramatically. “Who says shit like that?” 

“You wanted to be a ‘god queen’” The soldier teased, her sour expression beginning to soften. “You’re not allowed to say anything. And besides -” She continued, a flush now beginning to grow on her cheeks. “She could pull it off.” 

“She’s EVIL!” Tyeen burst, her intuition telling her that something was seriously wrong with the blonde. 

“She says she wants to bring equality and cure the bandits.” Moze scoffed with an eyeroll. “I was seriously worried at first, but now I think she just wants to undo all the harm YOU’VE caused.” The soldier scowled.

“And what’s the catch?” Tyreen retorted, a smirk growing on her face upon the realization that she could finally form the basis of a solid argument instead of just relying on her gut. 

“What’s that?” 

“A catch! There’s always a catch!” Tyreen laughed. “What was that thing about kneeling or submitting or whatever?” The siren scratched her chin. “Y’know, the last time we saw her?” 

“I mean – There was that thing about heresy or -”

“See!” Tyreen laughed, clapping her hands together. “Evil, you can’t trust her! So, here’s what we do… I leech her powers -”

“The more you begin to plot against her!” Moze snapped angrily. “The more I begin to trust Ramona! You – you’ve been lying about her from the start! What is with you, and why can’t you just tell me the truth, dude?!” The shorter woman exclaimed frustratedly, a look of betrayal in her eyes. 

“This is how evil dudes work, Moze!” Tyreen spat defensively. “Look, she had to have offered you something or -”

“She wanted me to work for her.” The vault hunter replied softly, a shy grin now growing on her face. “She called me a knight in shining armor.” 

The blue-eyed woman’s facial expression grew sour, a feeling that had been completely foreign to the siren now stirred within her. The more and more Moze began to defend this – clearly inferior siren, the more Tyreen began to lose her cool. “Knight in shining armor.” Tyreen scoffed angrily. “What a fucking joke.” She continued, quickly brushing a strand of her that had fallen down onto her face. “Like you’re actually a -”

Moze’s eyes began to water as she listened to the siren belittle her in such a fashion. All this time together, all of this growth that she had thought her crush had gone through, a chance that she had somehow managed to redeem one of the most irredeemable villains in the galaxy vanished in an instant. 

“Oh, what are you gonna cry?” Tyreen hissed impatiently, hurt that her crush had somehow managed to develop a crush on Ramona Delisle of all people and not her, unaware of the shorter woman’s true feelings. “Ramona’s going to be the death of you, you just fucking watch.” 

The soldier quickly rubbed her eyes and sighed sadly. “Maybe she’s not as good at reading people as I thought -”

“What?” The siren questioned angrily, her frustration growing for herself upon the realization that she was causing the woman who had saved her life so much pain. 

“She just -” Moze chuckled sadly. “This is gonna sound crazy, but Ramona told me a lot of the things you do are because you actually like me – ” 

“Like you?!” Tyreen erupted with laughter, realizing how the blonde had managed to read her true feelings so easily. Ramona had clearly informed Moze of this fact in an attempt to humiliate her further, how pitiful must the prisoner have seemed, falling in love with her captor. She knew the soldier wouldn’t dare reciprocate these feelings, meaning that from this moment onward, if she did, in-fact, reveal her crush that their entire arrangement would be awkward. Moze would clearly ask for a room change instead of wanting to live with the woman who harbored a ‘schoolgirl crush’ on her. And so, seeking to save her pride, the Siren lied. “What a fucking liar!” Tyreen laughed cruelly. “How could a god-queen fall for someone as plain as you?!”

Realizing how much of a fool she had been, Moze couldn’t hold back her tears any longer, a single, solitary tear quickly rolled down her face as she made her way for the exit. 

“Go! Run to your princess!” The siren faked a laugh, watching her crush leave the room with a slam of the door. Aside from this feeling in her gut, the siren was sure Ramona would have been the perfect woman for Moze, and she knew deep down, that if the two ever did end up together, it would have been a result of her actions. The unnamed emotion that had grown so intensely these past few minutes finally erupted, and Tyreen began to weep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy early New Years, everyone! Haha! This chapter is on the shorter end, but the following (and final three chapters) are going to be much longer. I hope all of you are doing really well and keeping safe. There's finally a light at the end of the tunnel, but it's still quite a ways off. We've made it this far, and I hope all of you are keeping strong until we make it to the end. I hope all of you have had, and continue to have, a lovely holiday season, and I want to thank you all again so much for your kind words and support for this story. Take care! -


End file.
